plus… Jonathan Edwards and Mark Drakeford Future of the Red-Green alliance Huw Lewis A strategy for child poverty Judy Hutchings Effective parenting Graham Meadows Wales and Europe beyond 2013 Kevin Morgan Power of purchase David Hedges The badger cull Peter Ogden Beauty and Blaenau Ffestiniog Baby Brian John McGrath Improvising a theatre tradition And 13,000 ot her lives

www.iwa.org.uk Sprin g 2 01 0 No. 40 | £10

spring 2 010

Editor: John Osmond A scar on our soul Assistant Editor: Stevie Upton In 1998 Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, declared that “Child Associate Editor: poverty is a scar on the nation’s soul”. He was announcing the UK Government’s Geraint Talfan Davies aim to halve child poverty by 2010 and eliminate it altogether by 2020. In this Administration: issue’s special feature on child poverty the Welsh Government’s Children’s Helen Sims-Coomber, Clare Johnson Minister Huw Lewis repeats the 2020 commitment. He is unable to do so in Design: relation to 2010 because, as he acknowledges, the number of children living in www.theundercard.co.uk poverty are currently increasing. To advertise However, as we also report, the statistics for children living in poverty do Tel: 029 2066 6606 not go to the root of the problem. Our first concern should the relatively large proportion – at least 96,000, or 15 per cent of our children – living in severe Institute of Welsh Affairs poverty. These are children living in households with below 50 per cent of average 4 Cathedral Road incomes, the point where basic necessities cannot be afforded. The importance of Cardiff CF11 9LJ focusing on this group is that it typically involves families with parents who are not Tel: 029 2066 0820 working. As a result the UK Government’s main instruments for tackling poverty - Email: [email protected] manipulating the tax and benefits system – are largely ineffective. www.iwa.org.uk Up until about 2005 the UK Government was doing fairly well in terms of The IWA is a non-aligned independent think- reducing children in poverty, defined as those living in households with 60 per tank and research institute. Members (annual cent of the average income. This was because it was reaching households just subscription £40) receive agenda three times below the threshold and raising them just above it. In recent years, however, the a year, can purchase reports at a 25 per cent proportion of people in poverty has become more residualised to those reduction, and receive discounts when attending experiencing severe poverty, a group that by definition is harder to help through IWA events. the tax and benefits system. The most effective long-term way of improving the position of children caught Branches in this poverty trap is through engaging them more effectively in the education North Wales Secretariat process. This places a large burden of responsibility on the Welsh Government. c/o Huw Lewis As we report, there are a number examples of good practice in Welsh schools and 6 Maes yr Haul, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1NS communities across Wales that are achieving worthwhile outcomes in raising the Tel: 01352 758311 educational engagement and attainment of disadvantaged children. The challenge Gwent Secretariat is to spread these relatively isolated examples in a mainstream way to all Welsh c/o Chris O’Malley local authorities and to all schools. University of Wales, Newport, Caerleon Campus This message has been taken on board by the Government in Cardiff Bay, PO Box 179, Newport NP18 3YG by the Minister for Education Leighton Andrews, and his deputy Huw Lewis. Tel: 01633 432005 It is encouraging that as Minister for Children, Huw Lewis has been placed West Wales Secretariat within the Department Education rather than, say, Social Justice. This is an c/o Margaret Davies acknowledgement that education is the key public policy lever in tackling child Principal’s Office, Trinity University College, poverty and social disadvantage. Carmarthen SA31 3EP Another sign is the commitment of First Minster Carwyn Jones to increase Tel: 01267 237971 education spending year-on-year by one per cent above whatever increase there is to the Welsh block grant. Against that we have to weigh the reality that public Swansea Bay Secretariat spending is facing a major squeeze in the coming few years. For example, next c/o Beti Williams year’s Welsh education budget is being cut by 3.4 per cent. Department of Computer Science, It is true that, due to nearly a decade of spending largesse, education spending Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP in Wales has increased substantially. The Welsh Government says education Tel: 01792 295625 spending has increased by around 70 per cent over the past decade. However, the Cardiff and Valleys Secretariat reality is that spending in England has gone up even faster – so that by now there c/o Llio Ellis is around a £500 spending gap per year for every Welsh secondary school pupil 3 De Clare Drive, compared with pupils in England. We spend £5,000 per head in Wales but in Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8FY England they spend £5,500. Tel: 07971 246116 In Wales we have chosen over the last decade to divert spending away from Wales in London education and put more in relative terms into health and economic development. c/o Robert John Hopefully, this will be corrected in the coming years and any extra money we First Base, 22 Ganton Street, London W1F 7BY find will be focused on helping those children in severe poverty who are under- Tel: 020 7851 5521 performing in our schools. contents opinion news obituary outlook

Spring 2010 No. 40

opi nion child poverty 30 Tackling severe economy child poverty 4 Wales and Europe 18 Missing out on the Trudy Aspinwall sets out 41 Wales needs a beyond 2013 essentials some priorities for the delivery plan Graham Meadows has John Osmond finds that Welsh Government Geraint Talfan Davies some ideas for Welsh education offers the discovers a gulf between policymakers on influencing best means for stemming business and government at the future direction of the rising numbers of polit ics & policy the IWA’s inaugural National cohesion policy Welsh children living in Economy Conference severe poverty 32 Future of the news Red-Green alliance 44 Wage rates and 21 Finding the – Jonathan Edwards : profitability explain 8 Latest news from tipping point Fault Lines in lagging economy the IWA Sarah Lloyd-Jones reports Welsh Politics Eurfyl ap Gwilym on the Glyncoch initiative – Mark Drakeford: questions whether Wales 11 Gareth Jones, to tackle low education Facing the Future is being held back by an 1933-2009 achievement with confidence over-large public sector John Osmond on a man who wielded great policy 24 Effective parenting 47 Opaque funding influence across the parties Judy Hutchings says streams Wales should build on its Stevie Upton calls for outlook record of early intervention greater transparency and to tackle children at risk more evaluation of the 12 Roadmap for our souls Welsh Government’s 13 Gender imbalance 27 Out of sight economic policies 15 Small country: big history out of mind 16 Holtham meets Calman Anita Myfanwy makes the 36 The power of purchase 49 Improving what case for moving child Kevin Morgan argues that a we already do poverty and social chronic procurement skills John Ball says we need exclusion in rural Wales deficit is a hidden crisis in to understand the true higher up the policy agenda the Welsh public sector meaning of innovation

29 Breaking the cycle 38 Provincial stagnation or 51 Merthyr’s progress of deprivation european powerhouse Rhys David measures the gap Huw Lewis advocates John Winterson Richards between vision and reality in integrated support suggests Wales faces a far the contemporary mechanisms for families in more radical choice than we development of the first town the fight against child poverty might imagine of the industrial revolution international environment coming up… Roaring Dragons Awards £30 (£25 IWA members) 53 Saving 13,000 lives 66 Planning for Carmarthen Branch Dinner. Thursday 22 April, 7.00pm – 8.00pm Angela Gorman describes behaviour change Halliwell Centre, Trinity St David’s University College, Carmarthen the work of her Welsh charity Chris Mills explains Guest speaker: Huw Lewis AM, Deputy Minister for Children. which prevents women dying how Environment Agency during childbirth in the Wales is gearing up for Coffee Shop Debate Entry free developing world climate change Thursday 11 May, 6.30pm – 7.30pm, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Chris Corcoran, comedian and TV presenter is passionate about education. 56 Chwarae Teg trading 68 Making waste Ann Hemingway and Elen pay its way Jones celebrate the second Malcolm Chilton says non- Food in the City £65 (£50 IWA members) Monday 24 May, 9.00 – 4.00pm, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff anniversary of Wales’ recyclable waste should declaration as the first Fair be used to generate Keynote speakers: Professor Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University, Steve Trade Nation sustainable electricity to Garrett, Director, Riverside Community Market; Elin Jones AM, Minister for Rural Affairs; Barny Haughton, Chef and Owner, Bordeaux Quay, Bristol. help secure our future energy needs science Evening at Ruthin Craft Centre North Wales Branch event. Thursday 10 June, 6.00-8.00pm 70 Beauty and 58 To cull or not to cull Blaenau Ffestiniog Guided tour with Craft Centre Director Philip Hughes. David Hedges reports on Peter Ogden applauds the Buffet £20 (£17.50p IWA members). the controversy over bid by the town at the tackling TB in badgers heart of Snowdonia to IWA Inspire Wales Awards Dinner in Pembrokeshire be part of the National Thursday 15 June, 7.30pm, City Hall Cardiff Park that surrounds it £55 (£50 IWA members) Table of 10 £500 (£475 members).

New Life for Town Centres: Unique Places for Regeneration culture £65 (£50 IWA members) Thursday 24 June, 9.00-4.00pm, Gwent Branch Conference, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Ystrad Mynach 72 Improvising a tradition John McGrath explains how Keynote speakers: Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive, Design 60 Science shops Wales newly launched National Commission for Wales; Jocelyn Davies, Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Alun Ffred Jones AM, Minister for Heritage; Simon Quinn, Steven Harris advocates a Theatre Wales is part of a Chief Executive, Association of Town Management. bottom up approach to nation-building project supporting participation in Building the Welsh Health Economy £95 (£80 IWA members) the knowledge economy ‘Ravishing blind 75 Monday 28 June, 9.45am – 3.45pm, Parc Hotel, Park Place, Cardiff harmony’ Rhian Davies provides a Keynote speakers: Professor Sir Mansel Aylward, Chair, Public Health Wales; Professor Ceri Phillips, Department of Health Economics, Swansea education curtain-raiser for this University; Gwyn Tudor, Forum Manager, Medi Wales; David Perry, Chief summer’s Gregynog Executive, European Care Group; . 62 Future of our music festival universities Coffee Shop Debate Entry free Merfyn Jones argues that 78 Hurricane from Tuesday 6 July, 6.30pm – 7.30pm, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff investment in higher Llangennech Peter Finch, Director, Academi, asks how visible is Welsh writing in English. education shoud remain Dylan Iorwerth remembers a national priority the late Hywel Teifi Edwards The General Election and its consequences £30 (£25 IWA members) North Wales Branch Dinner. Thursday 8 July, 7.30pm Meifod Country 64 The case for House Hotel, Bontnewydd self-regulation last word Guest Speaker: Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Director, Welsh Gareth Elwyn Jones Governance Centre, Cardiff University. declares that the profession 80 Time to overcome would do away with the tribal loyalties General Teaching Council Peter Stead Just published for Wales at its peril Against the Odds – the survival of Welsh identity By Harold Carter £9.99 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recorded or otherwise without the permission of the publisher, the Institute of Welsh Affairs. ISSN 1464-7613 More information: www.iwa.or g.uk contents opinion news obituary outlook

and 2020 even more so. Yet, positions are already being taken in the discussions Wales and Europe which will shape Wales’s relationship with EU Cohesion Policy from 2014 onwards. The stage is being set. beyond 2013 The new European Parliament was elected in the middle of last year and has taken its seat. The new European Graham Meadows has some ideas for Welsh policymakers on Commission – the second to be presided influencing the future direction of cohesion policy by José Manuel Barroso – has been appointed. Danuta Hübner, the European For the past ten years the European made against a new, ‘devalued’ Commission member who has been in Union’s Cohesion Policy has delivered poverty yardstick. So, even within the charge of EU Regional Policy for the intense support, both political and legal framework of EU Cohesion past five years, is now the President of financial, to West Wales and the Policy itself, there are reasons to the European Parliament’s Committee on Valleys. However, the relationship doubt that West Wales and the Regional Policy. The new Commissioner between Wales and EU Cohesion Valleys is recovered. is Austrian Johannes Hahn. A number of Policy will soon change, which raises policy papers have already issued from a number of points. • Third, what attitude should Wales take the European Commission on the next in discussions which will soon begin seven-year perspective for the European • First, why is this change important? Is it about the future form of EU Cohesion Union budget and how the Commission the loss of EU finance which this will Policy? Using its awareness of its own wishes to shape policies until 2020. entail? Without denying that the loss of position, can Wales make a case for There is, as yet, no explicit timetable finance will pose difficulties, I want to modifications to the policy’s structure so but one can make an educated guess. argue that the real importance lies in its that it better responds to the needs of The managers of EU business will be implication for Wales’s overall policy for regions which are emerging from looking for a decision on the new budget its economic development. The loss of poverty? Here, the answer must be in perspective, which will include Cohesion finance will be an important element in the affirmative. Wales has valid Policy revisions by the end of 2012. This the design of that policy. But, as arguments, supported by its own will require the Commission to table its important, perhaps, will be the loss of experience, for change in EU Cohesion firm proposals later this year, probably the medium-term planning framework Policy so that it better serves the needs just after the summer, and there may be which the policy provides. Therefore, of regions with fragile economies, which outline proposals before then. As I say, the imminence of discussions on the are still reconstructing and adapting 2014 seems distant but we are already at future of EU Cohesion Policy should economic structures. In alliance with the beginning of the debate which will provoke a reflection on the future other regions in the same position, have important political and budgetary course of Wales’s policy for its notably Cornwall in south-west consequences for Wales. economic growth and development. England, Wales should bring its What exactly is the changing arguments forward. relationship between Wales and the • Second, does the changing European Union? For most of us, there relationship between Wales and EU • The fourth question is, what if the case is one Wales but for the European Union Cohesion Policy imply that Wales’s and arguments advanced by Wales and its Cohesion Policy there are three. economy no longer needs assistance? don’t match the views of England? The policy looks at you through socio- Or, to pose the question in a more Twenty years ago Wales had no economic eyes and measures you against limited way, is the economic recovery separate identity in EU politics. Now EU GDP per head. It sees, or rather it of West Wales and the Valleys it does. It should make its case. saw, poor Wales, better-off Wales, and complete? There are two answers to OK Wales – West Wales and the Valleys, these questions: both negative. It is We begin, then, by asking why the a part of East Wales, and the rest of important to note that today’s EU impending change in Wales’s relationship Wales. The critical benchmark in judgement of Wales’s economic with EU Cohesion Policy is important? determining the intensity of financial performance – and of West Wales and First is timing. From the perspective of support under EU Cohesion Policy is a the valleys in particular – is being the first half of 2010, 2014 seems distant, level of income, measured in terms of

4 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org European Convergence funding worth £19 million is supporting construction of a 2.5km by-pass around Robeston Wathen from Penblewin to Slebech Park on the A40 east of Haverfordwest. The total cost of the three-lane project which entails a 2+1 overtaking layout, is £37 million. It will be completed in March 2011

GDP, equal to 75 per cent of the EU change has taken place in the policy’s it is important to keep in perspective average. At two points in its recent link to economic reality. The yardstick of the changes which are about to take history, West Wales and the Valleys has ‘poverty’ – to put it in blunt terms – has place. We must not exaggerate. scored less than this threshold over a been changed. Twelve new Member However, it is easy to exaggerate – three-year reference period. As a States have joined the European Union, to say ‘Wales’ when we mean West consequence, since 2000 it has been almost all of them with an income below Wales and the Valleys; to argue as if classified amongst the poorest members the Union average. The average has thus the whole of Wales should be classified of the Union, and therefore receiving a fallen by several percentage points. So, as a less well-off area of the EU; to high intensity of financial support. when we say West Wales and the Valleys forget why Wales receives EU resources We are just ending the three-year is no longer among the poorest parts of under Cohesion Policy. It is tempting reference period for the next period of the Union, we really mean it is no longer to dramatise things by focusing on the EU Cohesion Policy, from 2014. Final among the poorest parts of EU27. We resources, to look at Wales’s potential harmonised data are not yet available but do not mean that West Wales and the loss of EU funding rather than focus we can see already that West Wales and Valleys has attained the target it, and the on Wales’s essential gain in receiving the Valleys is no longer among the Union of EU15, set out to achieve in these funds in the first place. So let us poorest regions and, therefore, is not 2000. Measured against the poverty be as precise as possible in setting out believed to need intensive financial yardstick of 2000, West Wales and the the context. support from EU Cohesion Policy. This Valleys is still among the poorest parts of What might the changed relationship is something we should applaud. Or the Union. But we are talking economic mean in terms of EU funding? should we? Since 2000, when EU policy, not statistics. We need to Cohesion Policy said that West Wales understand whether the new statistics • First, a high-intensity of EU Cohesion and the Valleys was poor enough to correctly indicate Wales’s economic Policy funding will continue to flow warrant intensive financial help, a big strength. In approaching this discussion into West Wales and the Valleys until

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end-2015, the spending period of the mean it no longer requires assistance?” years ago and is still relatively so. The current programme – in other words, Put another way, “Is the recovery of same goes for Jarrow in North East for another six years. West Wales and the Valleys complete?” England. The same is also true of parts • Secondly, what is likely to happen after “Is the reconstruction of the Welsh of Wales. In other words, it may be end-2013, after which no new projects economy as a whole sufficiently strong to possible to organise economic policy in can be funded by the existing avoid falling back?” I have already begun such a way that relatively poor areas programme? We shall not know the to argue that, in terms of the policy’s grow at around the same speed as the answer to this question until the exact own construction, the answer may be in average economy. But it is difficult to form of post-2013 policy is decided, the negative. grow faster than the average and very probably in 2012. But, if previous What else can the policy tell us? difficult to sustain faster-than-average experience is a guide, the answer is that The importance of Cohesion Policy in growth over a long period of time. the region will be eligible for higher- the EU construction becomes clear Disparities are stubborn. than-normal intensity of funding for six when we consider it in the context of But disparities are also dynamic. years more, the funding being delivered the Lisbon Treaty. The Treaty calls for Growth churns an economy. Some parts on a degressive basis. the harmonious development of the grow more quickly than others; because Union and for the elimination of their incomes are rising more quickly, So West Wales and the Valleys has an economic disparities between regions. demand is stronger; the faster growers assurance, of one sort or another, until Cohesion Policy is the instrument for attract capital and labour from the 2020. If 2013 is going to mark the end achieving this goal. It calls for the slower; the slower suffer from their loss of a high intensity of EU funding, it is elimination of disparities between the of resources. Britain used to bemoan the going to be a slow end. This is an poorest regions and a level fixed at ‘brain drain’ to the United States. The important factor for Wales’s policy- three-quarters of the Union’s average effect of this churning is that disparities makers as they decide their political income. This gives rise to a number of are constantly recreating themselves. If strategies for the next few years. considerations. First it shows the nature we look at West Wales and the Valleys, In mentioning EU funding in this of Wales’s challenge. Wales as a whole we see that the region’s income has risen way, there is a risk of reducing the should be aiming to grow faster than in the past decade, that it has eliminated relationship between Wales and the Union so that the gap between it at least a part of the disparity which European Cohesion Policy to one which and the Union average disappears – existed in 2000, when it began to receive is merely about money. EU funding is and, having eliminated the gap, Wales a high intensity of support from the EU. important to Wales, which is why I have must continue to match the growth rate We can see, in other words, that Wales’s emphasised it, but it comes as part of a of the Union. For West Wales and the growth policies are working. policy. And the policy has its objectives Valleys, the target is the same. But we can also see that the and its instruments. Clearly, the rate of growth of West churning of the Welsh and the wider EU One of the instruments of EU Wales and the Valleys will be important economy has inflicted a fresh disparity Cohesion Policy, for example, is its to the performance of Wales as a whole on the region. The gap we observe today insistence on medium-term planning. – since Wales’s growth rate is an average is not the gap of 2000, it is more recent. The finance which the policy is of those of the country’s constituent In many quarters – even in the delivering to Wales is being used within parts. It is as if Wales is running for a European Commission in Brussels – the medium-term programmes, designed bus which is pulling away from the bus persistence of disparities is held to be a and implemented in Wales. The finance stop. The bus is the Union average. To sign of policy failure. After all, if policy may come from Brussels, but decisions catch the bus, Wales must run faster is a success, gaps will disappear. But this on how it should be spent, are made than the bus is travelling. is unjust. The programmes which here in Wales. This important element What are the qualities of the Wales’s policy-makers put in place in of the policy has had an impact on the gap which separates Wales from the 2000 were aimed to combat the gaps way the Welsh Government plans its EU’s average performance? There are which existed then by tackling their economic policy. It is one of the three: persistence, dynamism, and causes. It seems unreasonable to expect advantages which the policy has brought many-sidedness. Wales’s policy-makers in 2000 to know to Wales – perhaps almost as important The less-well off areas of the United that further gaps will emerge in 2005, let as the funding. Kingdom – and the same goes for the alone to know and treat their causes. The second question I posed at the EU as a whole – have not changed The third characteristic of disparities outset was, “Does the change in Wales’s much over decades, in good times and is their many-sided nature. EU Cohesion relationship with EU Cohesion Policy bad. Orwell’s Wigan was poor eighty Policy measures them in terms of income

6 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org but the disparities have other aspects • How long have the income disparities between less-favoured regions and the which are just as serious. If we look at existed between Wales and its regions rest of the Union. If we consider the regions in the EU which are similar to and the EU average? properties of these disparities, we West Wales and the Valleys and the other • Are there grounds for considering the discover that the policy needs a more poorer areas of Wales, we see that the persistence of disparities as harmful as sophisticated way of evaluating them income gap reflects poorer educational their size? than a simple income measure. attainment; poorer health and, even, • What is the age of the disparities? shorter life expectancy; poorer quality What is their vintage, if you prefer? • Common sense and simple economic housing; a lower quality environment in • What does this tell us about the success observation teaches us, that a simple of the actions which economic binary approach to economic programme managers have pursued development is not sufficient. To over the last ten years? believe that a regional or national • What are the other signs of socio- economy, like West Wales and the economic deprivation in Wales? Valleys or Wales, has recovered because • Are they well-mapped by using an it passes 75 per cent of the EU average income measure to decide on the is simplistic. eligibility for funding? This suggests that one way to develop EU Questions like these may open Cohesion Policy would be to create new arguments which would make it possible regional categories. Instead of a binary for Wales’s policy-makers to argue for a approach, below 75 per cent/above 75 per continuing relationship with EU cent, the policy could create a four-speed Cohesion Policy, which might secure for growth gearbox – say below 75 per cent, Wales the advantages of future financing 75-85 per cent, 85-100 per cent, above at above basic levels and, just as 100 per cent. As a region’s economy important, the continuation of the strengthened and income improved, it medium-term planning method. would climb through the gearbox, with the Credit where credit’s due – “Europe We come, then, finally, and briefly, intensity of funding being diminished as it & Wales: Investing in Your Future”. Photo: Paul Sambrook to the third question I asked at the does so. If policy were adapted in this outset. What line can Wales take in the way, it would better reflect the economic general; and so on. The problem which discussions which have already started reality and continuous nature of economic Wales’s policy-makers are treating as they on the future shape of EU Cohesion development and make an even more seek to promote the economic growth Policy? And let us again underline that substantial contribution to the achievement rates of the poorer parts of the country Wales’s financial relationship with the of a sustainable knowledge-based has many dimensions. policy is not going to change tomorrow. economy. This is only one possible idea. And this is sometimes reflected in There is an assurance of high intensity Something similar bounces around in the present implementation of EU funding until 2015 and of continued Brussels, sometimes getting traction, Cohesion Policy. In the present higher-than-normal funding for five or sometimes not. We have a new programming period, authorities in the six years thereafter. Let us also Commission, we have a new Netherlands allocated a bigger part of remember, however, that the amount of Commissioner for Regional Policy, and their EU funding to each person in the funding after 2015 will depend on the we have a new European Parliament. west than to the poorer people in the details of the new-look, post 2013 policy. Proposals will be made in a few months. north. They argued that the allocation The following are some arguments that The debate is getting serious. Now is the was necessary because all-round Wales can deploy: time for Wales to deploy its arguments. conditions were worse in the urbanised If it wants to make an impact, it has no west than in the rural north – and their • The poverty yardstick has changed. time to lose. argument was accepted. The task which Wales and the These considerations on the qualities of European Union agreed was necessary Graham Meadows is former Director income disparities offer indications of the in 2000 has still not been completed. General of the European Commission’s questions which Wales’s policy-makers Regional Directorate. This article is might consider as they prepare their • The Lisbon Treaty speaks of the based on a presentation he gave at arguments for the imminent discussions on requirement of harmonious Cardiff University’s Regeneration the future shape of EU Cohesion Policy: development, reducing the disparities Institute last December.

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New s a website to remember

Clickonwales.org is a now, web users will find brand new service two newly designed and launched by the Institute seamlessly integrated sites: of Welsh Affairs - an clickonwales.org – the news online news analysis analysis magazine – and magazine for Wales – iwa.org.uk – our new and the most important corporate site which gives development for the IWA details of all the IWA’s since we launched this events and research journal, Agenda , in the activities. Large parts of mid 1990s. these sites will be freely We know from accessible to all, but both public lectures from a much of our daily researching the reaction of parts will also facilitate variety of sources.. commentary, under an our individual and corporate online purchase of IWA collaboration agreement members that Agenda is the publications, with large • The Wales Factfile – a between the IWA and the most valued benefit of IWA discounts available to one-stop-shop for factual publishers of the Welsh membership, but we have IWA members. information about Wales. language magazine Golwg . been conscious for some clickonwales.org – a new Despite the glories of the time that publishing three address to remember and to web, one of our frustrations iwa.org.uk will remain as the times a year does not give us tap into daily to keep up as researchers has been the IWA’s corporate site with full the capacity to respond more with public affairs in Wales - difficulty of finding in one details of all our events – quickly to the daily rush of will contain convenient place succinct conferences seminars and events. There is often information about many branch events throughout something to be said for • Daily news analysis of aspects of Wales – such as Wales – as well as the ability to standing back from events important developments in its people, its geography, book places online for many of and taking a longer view. Wales, often by experts in its economy, its culture these events, as well as to join However, there is also a their fields, with sections on and, most importantly, its or donate online. At the same need in Wales for a more politics, local government, democracy. The Wales time we are launching a new constant stream of reportage, the economy and business, Factfile is an attempt to category of membership for analysis and comment on education, health, science, remedy this deficiency. bona fide students at only public policy issues. the environment, social We intend to build this into £10 per annum. For the past two years policy, culture and media. an unrivalled resource that iwa.org.uk will also contain we have provided a limited will be of help not only to details of all current IWA service through • A platform for extended researchers in schools, research projects with a facility iwa.org.uk/blog – a feature essays and debates colleges, public and private to input to these projects and within a website that was organizations, but also to to suggest new projects. itself showing signs of age. • National Assembly Welsh citizens and to Last year we decided that monitoring reports, visitors, in short – to anyone radical change was necessary, prepared in partnership with an interest in Wales. not only to upgrade and with Grayling Political develop our website, but also Strategy. • Access to the extensive IWA to bring about a new level of archive of articles, discussion engagement with and • The Director’s blog , by the papers, research reports, and participation by the IWA Director, John Osmond other publications. clic konwales has been membership and other built by Core , a Cardiff contributors. • The Wales Lecture • Links to the golwg360.com based web design and Although Agenda will Library – a place for site, where you will be able development agency. continue to be published as posting the texts of relevant to find Welsh translations of

8 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org network), and the complaints broadcasting have been of newspaper owners that the without them? public were expecting news There is no doubt that the Where t he fut ure for nothing. He describes the web has given a fresh impetus phenomenon of the printer/ to communication, at both meets t he past journalist – a fusion of global and local levels, creation and production that although organisations large Geraint Talfan Davies says that the IWA’s new website is now the hallmark of the and small are still searching for has more in common with older media than we think web. And he notes the way in the holy grail of a sustainable which Welsh periodicals were business model. The IWA is At first site the launch of a environment, we have not yet largely the work of amateur or not sustained by government, new website is hardly news. made full use of the web’s most voluntary effort. Of course, or by business or trade unions. Somewhere in the world recent capabilities, to engage this is a characteristic of many It is sustained only by a broad- new sites are being with our extensive membership of the most active Welsh based membership, both launched every minute of right across Wales and with a websites, with public subsidy individual and corporate, by the day. But for Wales we wider public. In short, our new currently confined to Welsh grants from trusts and hope that the launch of website provides an language sites. Jones also foundations and by income clickonWales.org will prove opportunity for us to add a details the way in which local from an increasing programme an important development. more substantial bottom-up newspapers routinely culled of conferences. The dimension to our work. articles from the metropolitan development of these new The Welsh blogosphere is Our hope is that these or foreign press – a primitive websites, therefore, represents already busy, with sites run twinned and interlinked sites – form of aggregation, exploited a considerable investment by by individuals and by all clickonwales.org and so successfully by modern the IWA in the hope that, while kinds of organisations iwa.org.uk – will allow us to do search engines. adding a significant new strand including cooperatives. We just that, over time changing Describing the network of of work, it will also assist our do not pretend to be the first fundamentally our mode of local agents that were crucial to long-term sustainability. in the field, we have many operation, and contributing distribution in the 19th But it also represents a new good and respected more richly to our aim of Century, especially of Welsh vitality and diversity thrown competitors. But we dare to developing an active civil language material, Jones into the face of the hope that this may be the society in Wales. describes something that has homogenising trends in media most ambitious independent There is much emphasis parallels with web-based ownership and production. effort so far, in that it will these days on the interest groups or social Consolidation of ownership is combine analysis and debate, discontinuities created by networks: “The newspaper not necessarily a recent a National Assembly technological development, but distribution networks process. In 1993, as one wave monitoring service, a source there are hidden continuities comprised what Raymond of consolidation began to roll, for public lectures and factual too. The way in which Williams termed ‘cultural Jones described a wave that information about Wales, as commentators are now using formations’, loose but complex began in 1890 and continued well as access to the IWA’s the web carries a myriad organisations of interlinking until 1939, reminding us that extensive archive of work. echoes of the development of groups of like-minded “regional, class, religious and Initially, we have archived journalism and the press in individuals from different areas linguistic inequalities with the last four years of our work, Wales in the nineteenth and occupations which could regard to resources certainly but over the next 12 months century. A re-reading of Aled also be mobilised for more existed, but the structure of the we hope to archive all the work Gruffydd Jones’ seminal work, aggressively political and press was far less hierarchical we have published over the last Press Politics and Society, A religious purposes.” Over to in the 19th Century than it was 23 years. history of journalism in Wales , you, Mr Obama. to become in the twentieth.” But there is also a published in 1993, conjures Jones mentions, too, some Perhaps today’s significance for the IWA as some features that would be features that would be familiar developments are a return to an organisation. Launched in very familiar in today’s in the television age: public our past. If they also presage 1987, long before the broadband world. houses attracting business by a return to the social activism commercialisation of the He records the mid- providing newspapers (cf. Sky of the Victorian era, they may internet, the IWA had its century growth of telegraph in pubs) and the ubiquity in also be a beacon of hope. roots in the age of print. While companies as they followed the 19th Century of the we launched our first website the extension of the railway preacher /journalist. Where Geraint Talfan Davies is 10 years ago in a dial-up system (cf. the broadband would 20th Century Welsh Chair of the IWA.

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• Active Citizen of the Year . Inspiring Welsh citizenship • Global Wales – to recognise people who have carried the banner for Ever since the IWA was and to encourage active • Science and Technology Wales beyond our borders . established in 1987 we have involvement in Welsh – sponsored by ISG • Young Achiever of the been fired by the vision civil society. Pearce Limited . Year – sponsored by Wales of a Wales in which all its In this first year of the • Environmentalist of and West Utilities . citizens play a full and scheme we have designated the Year – sponsored by • Sporting leadership – engaged part in creating a ten categories, though this South Wales Shredding Ltd to recognise people who progressive society. From may change in future years and WRAP Cymru . inspire others to participate the outset, too, we were as we see the need to • Welsh at Work – and achieve at local, convinced that encouraging highlight particular fields of sponsored by The regional or national level. enterprise of all forms was activity. The ten categories CADCentre (UK) Ltd. important – not just in for 2010 are: to recognise innovative We will be celebrating the private enterprise, but an ways in which the language achievements of the 30 finalists enterprising spirit in the • Business Leader has been used in the and announcing our category public and voluntary of the Year – sponsored workplace and business. winners at an awards dinner sectors as well, enterprise by Leadership and • Arts, Media and Creative at the City Hall, Cardiff, on that is about energy and Management Wales . Industries – sponsored by Tuesday 15th June. creativity, about ideas, • Educator of the Year . Active Music Services . innovation and action. For information about entering the awards, This is why, along with our about nominating others or media partner the Western about sponsorship, please Mail we have launched the contact the event organiser IWA Inspire Wales Awards Emma Brennan at to recognise and reward [email protected] excellence, to underline the or 029 2066 0820 importance of innovation, New IWA C hair for North Wales

Funding and Finance, and a ensure that this happens.” His volume on the North conference on Climate Professor Jones was an Wales Quarrymen won the Change and Welsh Habitats undergraduate at Sussex Welsh Arts Council Prize for organised in association with University and a Literature and he has been the Countryside Council postgraduate at Warwick awarded a BAFTA (Cymru) for Wales. before being appointed to award for his contribution to Professor Merfyn Jones, “I’m delighted to be his first research post at history on television. He has Vice-Chancellor of Bangor taking the helm for the IWA Swansea in 1971. In 1975 served as a member of the University, is the new in north Wales at a critical he moved to Liverpool Broadcasting Standards Chair of the IWA’s North time for developing policy in where he taught at the Commission and the Board Wales Branch . He is Wales, especially for University for fifteen years of Governors of the BBC, replacing Nonna Woodward, education with two Welsh and served as Director of and as Chair of the Vice-Chair of North Wales Government reviews Continuing Education and Broadcasting Council of Newspapers, who has underway, and also for the Dean. He transferred to Wales. He recently served as stepped down after more economy with a need for us Bangor and became Head of Chair of Higher Education than five years in post. Since to input into the the School of History and Wales and a Vice-President taking over in the New Year Government’s Economic Welsh History, Professor of of Universities UK, which Professor Jones has already Renewal consultation,” said Welsh History, Dean of the represents the higher hosted two major IWA Professor Jones. “It is Faculty of Arts and Social education sector in the UK. events at Bangor University, important that the north Sciences and Pro-Vice- a consultation seminar for Wales perspective is well Chancellor. He became the Merfyn Jones writes on the the Welsh Government’s understood and I believe the University's sixth Vice- future of higher education in Independent Commission on IWA is the ideal forum to Chancellor in August 2004. Wales, page 62.

10 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Obituary John Osmond on a man who wielded great policy influence across the parties

the thoughtful Lib Dems. The end result accounting firm then known as Ernst & was a manifesto with hundreds of tightly Whinney as head of their consulting drawn clear proposals, which became the group which he expanded and developed. backbone of the Welsh government Returning to Wales at the end of the between 2000 and 2003.” 1980s Gareth became Chairman of the Gareth was most proud of the Neville Hall Hospital Trust, responsible inclusion of a scheme to pilot a Welsh for the main hospital at Abergavenny and Baccalaureate to replace the A Levels in numerous small hospitals in the Wales. This had been first proposed in surrounding mining valleys, including his his influential report Wales 2010: home town of Blaina. To celebrate the Creating our Future that he produced for 50th anniversary of the founding of the Gareth Jones the IWA in 1993. Typically for Gareth NHS he wrote The Aneurin Bevan 1933-2009 this was a panoramic survey of all aspects Inheritance , the story of the growth of of Welsh life that addressed the question the health services in the mining valleys Gareth Jones was a Welshman of he himself posed: “What should we, the from 1700s onwards. On his return to unbounded optimism in a country people of Wales, do to enable Wales to Wales he also immediately learned Welsh which specialises in pessimism, be one of the most prosperous regions in and later wrote Welsh Roots & Branches , especially in the years leading up to Europe by the year 2010?” With that a study of the derivation of Welsh words the creation of the National year almost upon us he was to assist learners. Assembly. His ideas, often promoted recommending that the question should He became involved in an by the IWA of which he was a be asked anew, but perhaps with the year extraordinary range of organisations trustee, radiated into the wider 2030 being substituted. By then he involved in Welsh life and culture, community in ways that were rarely hoped, and it is likely, that his treasured including as a member of the Board of traced back to their source but will Baccalaureate, based on the International Welsh National Opera, a Governor of the reverberate for decades to come. Baccalaureate qualification that was University of Glamorgan, and chairman Gareth, who has died in Cyprus aged pioneered in Wales in the 1970s, will of the Welsh composer Mansel Thomas 76, was a major influence on the have become the Welsh ‘gold standard’. Trust. He also founded and chaired the early years of the National Assembly, Gareth Jones was born and brought Beacons Trust which he established to and in particular the first coalition up in the Valleys town of Blaina. His develop the commercial potential of small government between Welsh Labour mother was a teacher and his father a businesses in Powys. This is where he and the Welsh Liberal Democrats. mine surveyor who died when he was settled on his return to Wales, in a four. As a child Gareth played the piano magnificent hill-side home at Bwlch near It was his chairmanship of the Welsh and cello to a high standard, winning Brecon with historic links to the nearby Liberal Democrat policy committee in the many awards in Eisteddfoddau, and medieval Tretower Court. late 1990s that ensured the party’s becoming a cellist in the National Youth However, it was in his role as manifesto for the first Assembly elections Orchestra of Wales at 17. He was an chairman of the IWA’s Research Panel was widely hailed as being the most Exhibitioner at Christ’s College, that Gareth Jones wielded most imaginative of all the parties. Many of its Cambridge where he read Chemistry and influence in these years. He brought to proposals found their way into the Anthropology and also continued to it not only his acute acumen and depth coalition agreement that was negotiated pursue his interest in music. of experience, but also a boundless between Labour’s Rhodri Morgan and Following two years National Service energy and optimism that infected all Mike German, leader of the Welsh Liberal with the RAF he became a chemistry around him. Over two decades the Democrats, across the summer months of teacher, first at Stationers School and Panel’s work fed into the manifestos of 2000. As Mike German recalled, “His later in Dulwich College, London. In the all the parties in Wales, but especially contribution was inestimable. We would sit early sixties he worked for Shell and rose the Liberal Democrats in whose interest around his vast dining table with everyone rapidly through its management at the he was a Powys county councillor and bringing their policy proposals forward on same time as studying for his PhD in on the Board of the Brecon Beacons a single sheet of A4. Following discussion, Psychology at the London Business National Park. the proposals fell into one of three School. Later he joined the American Latterly Gareth had settled in categories – acceptable, required further consulting group, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cyprus, where he had forged links over work and crap. Avoiding ‘crap’ and being where he became head of the London 25 years, and worked tirelessly on a book dumped in the waste bin became the office and the first European to be on the French language which he had challenge for us all. Meanwhile his wife appointed to the New York Board of just completed at the time of his death Helen would prepare vast meals to feed Directors. In the 1980s he joined the UK in December last year.

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new Independent Safeguarding Dame Stella Rimington, the former head Authority. Peaceful protesters are being of MI5, has accused the Government of pinpointed as ‘domestic extremists’, exploiting people’s fear of terrorism to with their photographs and other details restrict their civil liberties. Sir Ken being entered onto databases. MacDonald warned that “we need to The most drastic intrusion is yet to take very great care not to fall into a Paul Jeremy come. If Labour wins the next general way of life in which freedom’s back is election, a law will be brought in which broken by the relentless pressure of the allows the authorities to intercept, security state.” Lord Bingham, former Roadmap of our souls without specific warrants, the email and Lord Chief Justice, wondered sceptically One of the most neglected issues in mobile phone contacts, internet use and whether “the British are content to be Welsh politics during the last decade Skype links of everyone in Britain. The the most spied upon people in the has been the state of civil liberties Conservative Party, for all its fulsome democratic world?” arising from Government policies for rhetoric about the protection of privacy Thus there is a significant body of guarding public safety and use of new against the intrusive state, remains opinion warning that the UK has database technology to improve the ambiguous on this matter. Sir Ken sleepwalked into a surveillance state. quality of public services. MacDonald, the former Director of Wales, for its part, hasn’t even stirred. Public Prosecutions, warned of the Of all the UK nations, it has contributed As a reaction to the menace of terrorist consequences of such a step: “It would very little to this debate. Is it not strange attack, the suspension of habeas corpus be a complete readout of every citizen’s that in a country which prides itself on has been extended from 14 days in life in the most intimate and demeaning its radical politics and its past struggles 1997 to 28 days for anyone arrested detail. No government of any colour is for justice, we are so reticent about under anti-terrorism legislation. Far- to be trusted with such a roadmap of continued government impingement on reaching steps have been taken to our souls.” our public and private freedoms? monitor movement within the country The scale of intrusion into One crucial reason has to be the and across UK borders. Britain has the people’s lives is leading to a growing Labour Party’s dominance. Labour does largest number of CCTV cameras in belief that British liberty, especially the not enjoy a global reputation for the world. right to privacy, has been undermined defending liberty within the UK. The Your journeys by road can be to an unprecedented extent, despite the Welsh Labour Parliamentary group is a monitored through the new national existence of the Human Rights Act of dutiful citadel of New Labour loyalty: network of automatic number plate 1998. The growth of the surveillance its 29 MPs, many of whom are or have cameras. You will not be able to renew database state is seen as remorseless been on the Government payroll, have a passport without providing new and unmatched in any other democracy. voted overwhelmingly for 90 days pre- biometric and other personal data. You We are moving from the nanny state to charge detention and for ID cards. cannot leave Britain without providing a mistrust state in which everyone is When the Convention of Modern an unprecedented amount of travel suspect until validated; and validation Liberty, the largest civil liberties event information; in effect an exit visa will be all-encompassing once separate in the UK for decades, was held in system is now being introduced for the government databases are linked. In February 2009, the Wales Labour Party first time for all UK passport holders. short, New Labour has pioneered world declined to send a speaker to the Wales An insidious process has developed class standards in database snooping. conference in Cardiff. This gesture whereby measures to curb terrorist These criticisms cannot be shrugged marked the descent of a party which suspects and serious criminals, such as off as the predictable complaints from once had a vigorous tradition of paedophiles and fraudsters, has led to the usual civil liberties suspects who defending civil liberties, from the inter- an atmosphere where the whole they perceive to be lax on the need for war struggles – Aneurin Bevan was a population has become the object of public safety measures and hysterical Vice-President of the National Council official distrust in the cause of safety. about the risks of database technologies of Civil Liberties – right through to the Anyone arrested for an indictable which can greatly improve the quality of era of Neil Kinnock and John Smith. offence has their DNA taken and public services. A number of eminent Another reason is that members of retained, regardless of innocence. Those figures who have been at the heart of the National Assembly seem to think in regular contact with children and dealing with threats to society from that issues about liberty in Wales are vulnerable adults must be checked by terrorists and other serious criminals essentially for the UK Parliament to the Criminal Records Bureau and the have been outspoken about the trend. consider. This is patently unsatisfactory

12 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org as the Welsh Government does have Formed in 2007 as a cross-party to look into aspects of civil liberties in responsibility for some aspects of initiative and with a wide range of civil Wales. It could also initiate an policing, and for transport, local society institutions as members, it has Assembly debate on the broad state of government, health and social services, two broad aims: to get MSPs looking at liberty in Wales, following the ‘contours’ and education – all of which have major and understanding human rights issues; of the liberty map, and thereby adopt a privacy issues affecting people in Wales. and secondly to encourage dialogue on more critical approach to the Welsh AMs are sleeping on the job when it such issues between MSPs and wider Government’s own record. comes to opposing the intrusive Scottish society. Albeit modest, such steps would database state. Secondly we should commission a serve to bring Wales into the mainstream of debate on the weakening National Assembly Cross Party Group of liberty within the UK. We are at a on Human Rights www.cpghr.com turning point. Sir David Omand, formerly Whitehall Intelligence and Founded in November 2009 the Group meets in the Senedd every two months. Security Coordinator, has warned that The chair is Bethan Jenkins, Plaid AM for South Wales West, and the secretary is “finding out other people’s secrets is Cathy Owens, Programme Director of Amnesty International Wales. Supporting going to involve breaking everyday AMs include Joyce Watson, Labour AM for Mid and West Wales; Darren Millar, moral rules” as a result of the Conservative AM for Clwyd West; Jenny Randerson, Lib Dem AM for Cardiff surveillance state trawling through our Central; and Leanne Wood Plaid AM for South Wales Central. personal information on linked databases and in cyberspace. If that Concerns so far raised by the Group include the representation of asylum seekers, happens we will have pioneered a first the treatment of older people especially in care home settings, and violence in the history of public ownership: the against women. The Group’s next meeting, on 12 May, will be addressed by Kate nationalisation of privacy. Bennett, National Director Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission. On the other hand, we can refuse to capitulate to the imperatives of A further hindrance is the almost ‘liberty map’ providing a comprehensive Whitehall securocrats and much of the invisible role of the Welsh media in the study of the institutions and legislation political establishment about overriding coverage of civil liberties issues: a impacting on the civil liberties and our freedoms for their security agenda. negligent Assembly feeds a lazy Welsh privacy of people in Wales. It could As the writer Philip Pullman observed press, online and broadcasting culture. include some positive approaches to data at the Convention of Modern Liberty, So what is to be done? The first collection adopted by the Welsh “We are a better people than our thing is to look north to Scotland. No Government, which receives very little government believes we are”. We doubt many AMs get irritated by credit for its privacy policies. This should should insist on a new Respect Agenda, constant invocations to the land of milk be a brief study which would be available not this time from feral youths but from and honey beyond the Tweed, but there for wide circulation to MPs and Peers, a failed political class at Westminster. are some important features of the AMs, Welsh MEPs and the media. As Lord Bingham put it, “The Scottish human rights scene which merit Thirdly, a new Human Rights group Commons should be a bastion and attention from the National Assembly has just been established within the defender of our freedoms, not an and from wider Welsh society. National Assembly, with a positive accomplice in their unjustified erosion.” Scotland has a number of agenda for human rights. However its In a country which has contributed organisations directly involved in role in promoting civil liberties is far so much to human liberty, we should Scottish civil liberties issues such as from clear. The obvious differences now in the age of the database state No2IDScotland and Scotland Against between Wales and Scotland are that develop impeccable standards of data Criminalising Communities. In May Scotland is responsible for its criminal protection and entrenched civil liberties 2009 the Scottish Human Rights Law justice system and has a parliament with passed by a new reformed parliament. Group was formed to raise awareness law-making powers. Yet it would be If we remain as careless on liberty as and knowledge of human rights law in eminently possible for the Assembly’s we in Wales have been hitherto, then Scotland and to provide a forum for Cross-Party Human Rights Group to let us heed Tom Paine’s warning that discussion of matters of interest across develop over time a major role in when we do not value something, it is the field. defending our liberty. Like the Scottish tantamount to losing it . The most significant development, Parliament’s group, it could co-opt a however, has been the creation of the broad range of Welsh institutions. It Paul Jeremy is a member of Liberty Human Rights and Civil Liberties could encourage committees of the and a life-long supporter of the Group in the Scottish Parliament. House of Commons and the Assembly Labour Party.

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outcome, both the institution and the discriminatory). The point is that party itself would become feminised to sometimes we set criteria which are not the extent that the balance would become obviously gender discriminatory, but self-perpetuating. The message from the which might well have that effect in IWA report is that without such positive practice. Identifying these is key to mechanisms continuing, far from being addressing the causes of the unbalanced John Dixon self-perpetuating, the situation will revert results of selection processes. to one in which males will predominate. There is potential for indirect One response to that would be to discrimination to occur at a number of Tackling gender reinstitute or continue the mechanisms points in the process. One difficulty lies imbalance used to date. However, there is little in persuading women to put their names evidence that doing so will have any forward. Rather than accepting that as a The IWA’s resent report Critical more effect on the underlying causes than reason, we need to ask ourselves why Mass: The Impact and Future of it has to date. It is likely to continue to politics is unattractive to women in the Female Representation in the National address symptoms rather than causes. first place. Assembly draws attention to the way Almost everybody involved with Perhaps we should start by that both Plaid and Labour are political selection processes argues, I considering people's perception of what stepping back from positive believe honestly and sincerely, that they politics is and what politicians are and discrimination, steps which both are not guilty of discrimination. Yet one do. A great deal of political reporting on parties had previously taken. From does have to ask - if there is no television news programmes revolves its outset the National Assembly has discrimination involved, then why is the around Prime Minister's question time. achieved a level of balance between outcome so heavily skewed? This is an intensely aggressive piece of the genders which is better than One possibility is that there is an theatre where two people endeavour to most legislatures. That was a direct element of indirect discrimination. put each other down in the nastiest result of the steps taken by Labour Indirect discrimination can sometimes possible way without straying outside and Plaid, without which I have no be difficult to identify. There are some the bounds of Parliamentary language. doubt that our Assembly would have obvious examples one could quote. If Many panel programmes involving looked much more like Westminster. a party was to select only blue-eyed politicians encourage similar attitudes. candidates, it would probably end up It doesn't surprise me that many To date, mechanisms for achieving with a reasonably gender balanced list. people would find this an unattractive gender balance have effectively It would be a wholly unfair system of process – is it possible that that would be concentrated on outcomes rather than course, but it would not of itself cause more true amongst women than amongst processes. They have focused on a gender imbalance. Replace blue-eyed men? Or conversely, is it possible that addressing symptoms rather than dealing with tall, and you get a completely this style of politics is likely to appeal with underlying causes. There has been different result. (Of course, if we were more to males than to females? an implicit, usually unstated, assumption looking at ethnic balance, selecting Politics doesn't have to be like that, that by achieving a balance in the blue-eyed candidates would also be and many of those of us who worked for a better gender balance hoped to change the nature of politics in the process. The IWA’s report predicts that Whilst the Assembly has avoided the the number of women members of the worst of Westminster's excesses, coverage National Assembly will fall by around of 'politics' in the widest sense still eight following the May 2011 election, revolves largely around Westminster, from 28 (or 47 per cent) to around 20 which remains resolutely macho. (nearer 30 per cent). This it, says, is close to the ‘critical mass’ necessary for To what extent do parties actively women to have a significant impact on seek out and develop talent, or do they the institution’s style, tone and working sit back and wait for people to apply? patterns. So far, it says, the presence of Certainly, in Plaid, we have in recent large numbers of women has meant years based our approach to selection on that the Assembly has avoided any responding to the ambitious candidates. charge of being institutionally male But, if we thereby select for ambition dominated, as is the case with could that be indirectly discriminatory? the House of Commons. Looking at the selection processes

14 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org themselves, the intention is to select the different flavour. best candidates, those with the most In 2004 the anomaly that the ‘merit’. However, merit is something University’s Welsh operation was funded which needs to be defined and measured. by the Higher Educational Funding I am not convinced that our selection Council for England came to an end, process has taken a sufficiently broad and and it aligned with the Higher Education non-discriminatory view of what merit Trevor Herbert Funding Council for Wales. An actually is. expectation quickly and quite reasonably For instance, central to our internal emerged that the OU should demonstrate hustings processes has been the Small country: how it was to be perceived as a requirement for candidates to stand up big history distinctively Welsh institution. It could and make a speech and to face questions. make justifiable utterances about its Both of these are clearly important In 1970 the distinguished zoologist service to various employment sectors in attributes of a politician, but are they all Harford Williams, from Meidrim in Wales, but more challenging was the idea we require? Don't we also want people to Carmarthenshire, took the reckless that it would deliver a Welsh curriculum. be able to listen, to learn, to change their step of resigning from a comfortable From the beginning, the course opinion in the light of facts, to arrive at a post in the Marine Laboratory at production endeavour has been based in consensus where necessary in order to Aberdeen University to become the the central Milton Keynes campus, and move forward, to empathise with their first Welsh Director of an institution the curriculum aimed not at apparently constituents and so on? Is there a danger that was enshrined in doubt and small-scale, ‘local’ markets, but at courses in selecting which attributes we actually controversy. It was, after all, an that would be subscribed to in industrial assess, and how we assess them, that we experiment of the most daring kind, proportions. How could a Welsh are indirectly discriminating? one based on nothing more than curriculum be developed, and who in any It would be wrong to assume that idealism, optimism and faith in the quantity would want to study it anyway? any or all of these issues do actually fragile notion that a significant Croeso: Beginners Welsh was introduce unfairness; that would be proportion of the UK adult population presented online in 2008 and recruited gender stereotyping of the worst kind. would find the prospect of tagging ‘BA’ well, but somewhat surprisingly it drew But it is equally wrong to assume that to their moniker particularly alluring. most of its students from outside Wales. they do not. Assumptions can sometimes Yet more surprising was the response to be the enemy of truth. Forty years and two million students the OU’s initial curriculum offer in In an attempt to avoid possible later (nearly 100,000 of them in Wales), Welsh history. Welsh history has been a discrimination in these aspects, Plaid are the level of scepticism generated in those part of the OU’s interest in Wales for doing three things. The first is to become early days is but a faint memory. some time, but never part of its formal more pro-active in seeking out able and Paradoxically, much of the success of the curriculum. In the 1980s, with Professor talented people, rather than waiting for OU in Wales actually came from the Gareth Elwyn Jones, I co-edited a series them to push themselves forward. The abundance of academics from traditional of books sponsored by the Welsh Office second is to broaden the range of Welsh institutions who, rather than and published by the University of Wales attributes which we measure in our opposing the idea, embraced it Press. It played on two related features: vetting stage before candidates are added enthusiastically by becoming its first essays about different topics and periods to our national list. And the third is to cohort of part-time tutors. This was in Welsh history, and a persistent look at how we can change the nature of important, for Wales was always a scrutiny of the nature of history and the the hustings selection to make a rounder challenge for the OU centrally: it made way that historians do their work. The assessment of candidates. something of a mess of the University’s books drew contributions from almost Real, meaningful, long-term gender carefully devised ‘regional’ strategy, forty major historians and enjoyed balance is something which we because it occupied the second largest significant success. This project was desperately need to achieve. But we will land mass (after Scotland) of its thirteen revived for the OU course Small only achieve it if we change the way regions, but had the second smallest country, big history: themes in the politics works sufficiently for it to become number (after Northern Ireland) of the history of Wales , which was written in, a self-perpetuating and self-sustaining potential student base. Other challenges, and is taught entirely online from, Wales. outcome, based on real change to the such as the one of dealing fairly and The legacy of the 1980s project underlying processes, rather than looking economically with a highly distributed follows through to the new course in only at results . student population, kept the Wales that it too is about the nature of history, operation on its toes, but devolution the way that historians use historical John Dixon is Chair of Plaid Cymru. introduced issues of a somewhat sources and the impact of the work of

spring 2 01 0 | 15 contents opinion news obituary outlook historians on issues of national and unproblematic, the OU has always been anticipated, but that the impact has been cultural identity. This type of emphasis relaxed about the order in which most apparent outside Wales. Small allowed the rejection of a chronological courses are studied anyway. country, big history: themes in the approach in favour of one that is Allied to the course is a large, richly history of Wales attracts about 250 entirely thematic. After a brief resourced, multi-media, free-access students a year. This is more than any introduction through an examination of internet site which carries the original other institution that teaches Welsh the techniques and motives of 18th book series title: Welsh History and its history – but, of course, for just one Century Welsh historians, the students Sources . This site is part of the OU’s module. Only about 25 per cent of these are introduced to a number of topics Open Educational Resources offering, students live in Wales. The rest are grouped under three themes: which has rapidly become one of the spread very widely across the world. most important aspects of its public Contrary to expectation, the anecdotal • Culture: based on material from post- engagement. The idea was developed in evidence is that they are not ex-patriots, war Wales, the Rebecca Riots, Wales the USA where the Hewlett Packard but just people who have long harboured and religion. foundation provide MIT with funds to an interest in the history of Wales. • Society: 19th Century migration and place most of its teaching materials Yet more interesting is the data that women in Wales between the wars. online for free and open access across emerges from the OpenLearn unit. • Nationhood: the Edwardian the globe. The OU was next on The measurement of ‘hits’ on the Open conquest and a study of Lloyd Hewlett Packard’s list of beneficiaries, Educatioal Resource sites is important, George and Wales. and it produced the massive portfolio of because it provides some indication of curriculum markets and directions. There were some murmurs early on that the Welsh history site was doing This image, taken from a 1930s well, but it soon became clear that it newspaper, is used to illustrate was doing better than anything else that one theme in the Open the OU had to offer, in any subject. It University’s Welsh history has consistently been the most visited course, the life of women between the wars. As the course material OU site, with most visits and (critically) comments, “Early histories of re-visits coming from outside the UK. women in Britain tended to Everyone who professes any expertise concentrate on those women who in the measurement of internet sites were ‘extraordinary’ rather than recommends against too much ‘ordinary’, for example Florence enthusiasm, because internet audiences Nightingale or Queen Victoria. are famously promiscuous and fickle. They studied only those women This is probably good advice. However, who managed to gain fame and even at this stage it prompts thoughts prominence in the public world, about the potential of the OU in Wales that most believed was the sole preserve of men. Now historians as an agent for the internationalisation of generally agree that it is just as the country’s culture. The Welsh history important to look at all women project also emphasises the rude health of because their experiences varied the partnerships that the OU has struck enormously according to their in Wales. The present curriculum and age, class, marital status and the materials on which it is based exist where they lived.” only because the OU has recognised both its strengths and its limitations and built on the legacy of co-operation with the wider Welsh academic community that was established four decades ago. The presentation of chronologies has free-access learning material under the never played much of a part in the generic title OpenLearn . OU’s curriculum, partly because, The remarkable and so far leaving aside the fact that chronologies unexplained phenomenon of the OU’s Professor Trevor Herbert is an – or at least the selection of what goes Welsh history material is not simply that Arts Faculty Staff Tutor at the Open into them – are themselves not its impact has been much greater than University in Wales.

16 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org public spending per head as England, economists call a regression model to despite being one of the poorest of the determine what seems to influence UK’s twelve standard economic regions. actual expenditure on health, local Thus the Welsh and Scots problems are government and schools in each local different. Scotland has done very well area in England. They found that: out of the block grant; Wales has done “It is possible to replicate to a Iain McLean badly. Scotland has a more robust tax surprisingly high degree of accuracy the base than Wales. The devolved funding allocations of very complicated parliaments in each country appointed needs-based formulae using only a few Devolution’s quiet a committee to study alternatives to key needs indicators. Over 90 per cent bombshell Barnett. In Scotland, the Calman of the variation in funding for these Commission, advised by an academic public services across English sub- The famous – although much “Independent Expert Group”, of which regions could be captured using a single misunderstood - Barnett Formula has I was a member, reported in 2009, and equation with just two needs proxies.” governed the distribution of public the UK Government has accepted To determine the weights of each spending across the UK for 40 years almost all of its recommendations. In of these deprivation factors, or ‘needs since the 1970s. Yet it is only in the Wales, the Holtham Commission (the proxies’, they extended the model to last decade that devolution has Independent Commission on Funding Scotland and Wales, again modelling the provoked a growing and impassioned and Finance for Wales) is still sitting. actual money available to spend on these debate about how public spending is As the problems differ, so, services. They found that, using the distributed. Politicians, commentators unsurprisingly, do the solutions. actual allocations in place across the UK, and the public are increasingly asking: Calman’s focus was on making the public spending per head on these who gets what, and is public money Scottish Parliament fiscally responsible. services for England, Scotland, and Wales distributed fairly. One of the fatal defects of devolution is should be on the basis of the ratio that the centre taxes, but the periphery 100:105:115. The Wales ratio is the same The Barnett formula is regularly spends. To the Scottish Parliament and as that reached by other methods, which attacked for allegedly over-rewarding National Assembly their block grant is increases confidence in the method. The Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland like manna. It just arrives on the ground: Scotland ratio is far below actual at the expense of England. Territorial no effort is needed to pick it up. allocations, which is also true of other finance seems to be one of the key Accordingly, Calman’s central proposal methods of attempting to judge relative issues driving English dissatisfaction is to cut the rate of UK income tax needs. Any needs-based formula would with the devolution settlement and the chargeable in Scotland by half, and force lead to painful adjustments in Scotland - Union itself. Recent data from the the Scottish Parliament into a mature and probably also in Northern Ireland, British Social Attitudes Survey suggests discussion on tax-and spend. although it was not in the Holtham that the proportion of people in All parties in Scotland claim that model. On a recent visit to Wales, England that think Scotland receives they are in favour of something called Shadow Chancellor George Osborne ‘more than its fair share’ of public ‘fiscal autonomy’. Calman has offered said, “I would start with a needs-based spending has risen from one in five in them that, and has started to force a assessment across the UK and that is a 2000 to one in three in 2007. In reality, grown-up debate on what fiscal good basis for having a discussion on this is despite Barnett rather than autonomy would actually entail. It both funding and tax”. This is, as John because of it. Nonetheless, ‘Barnett’ would entail grown-up attitudes to Osmond has commented on the IWA’s gets the blame. taxing and spending that, for all the click on wale s website, highly significant. But Wales is different. Every many virtues of the Scottish Parliament, It seems to indicate that the authoritative survey since the Treasury’s have not been seen at Holyrood since it Conservatives are travelling in the same half-suppressed Needs Assessment of started. Calman did not discuss needs direction as the Holtham Commission. 1979 has shown that, however relative assessments at any length. It was On the other hand, their Scottish ‘needs’ might be assessed, the current obvious to all that Scotland would do spokesman David Mundell has recently formula arrangements seem to be worse under a needs assessment regime given a cautious welcome to Calman. It delivering less to Wales than it ‘needs’. than it does now. By contrast, will not be easy for the next UK Furthermore, the mathematics of the Holtham’s work to date has involved in- government, of whatever party, to ride Barnett Formula are convergent. If depth study of needs assessment. In both of these horses at once. Barnett were allowed to run December, Gerry Holtham and his undisturbed by politicians, in due colleagues threw a quiet bombshell into Iain McLean is Professor of Politics at course Wales would receive the same the debate. They first ran what Oxford University.

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Missing out on the essentials John Osmond finds that education offers the best means for stemming the rising numbers of Welsh children living in severe poverty

A quarter of Welsh children live in What exactly does ‘severe poverty’ mean? In particular, for families in severe poverty, that is in households with This is Save the Children’s definition: poverty the hidden costs of their incomes below the commonly children attending school – items of agreed threshold of 60 per cent of “… a household with an income of clothing (those extra trainers), school average earnings. However, a much below 50 per cent of the median (after trips, computer equipment for more significant figure is the housing costs), and where both adults homework, access to broadband and so number of children who live in and children lack at least one basic on – are an ongoing burden, and often ‘severe poverty’, in households with necessity, and either adults or children simply unaffordable. According to Save below 50 per cent of average or both groups lack at least two basic the Children the following groups of incomes. This is the point where necessities.” children are most likely to be at risk of basic necessities cannot be afforded. Being in severe poverty for a couple living in severe poverty: with one child means living on less than The number of Welsh children living in £12,220 a year. This amount leaves • Children whose parent are not in work. severe poverty has been rising sharply in them around £113 a week short of what • Those whose mothers (or fathers in the last two years, from 90,000 in early they need to cover food, electricity and the case of single fathers) have low 2008 to around 96,000 or 15 per cent gas, phones, other bills, clothes, washing, educational attainment. today. By some margin these statistics are transport and healthcare, not to mention • Children in single-parent households. worse than in the rest of the UK - 13 per furnishings, activities for children and cent (1.5 million) in England; 10 per cent (43,000) in Northern Ireland; and “A revolution in our education system will be the only way just 9 per cent (95,000) in Scotland to end child poverty by 2020…” Indeed, it is quite possible that the Welsh level is currently edging nearer 20 per cent, with more than 100,000 of other essential items. Children in severe To put this in perspective: our children living in severe poverty. poverty are missing out on everyday This is because the latest statistics essentials such as food and clothing. • 60 per cent of children in households compiled by Save the Children do not They cannot afford things that most where both parents are not working live measure the impact of the recession families take for granted, such as in severe poverty. during the last year. celebrating a birthday or having a short • Just over a quarter (28 per cent) family holiday. of children whose parents have no

18 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org An end child poverty march in Cardiff during 2009.

educational qualifications live in committed to halving child poverty by term means of tackling severe child severe poverty. 2010 and then eliminating it by 2020. poverty. As it says: • A quarter of children in single parent Up until about 2005 it was doing fairly “A revolution in our education families are in severe poverty. well in terms of the global statistics. system will be the only sustainable way to However, its main policy instruments – end child poverty by 2020, but it will In understanding these statistics we need tax and benefits – only captured those require those delivering education from to acknowledge that every person living families where at least one person was in the Department for Education and Skills, in poverty experiences it in different work. Severe poverty typically involves devolved bodies and local authorities to ways. There is not a distinct ‘poor’ people outside the formal workforce be much bolder and redistributive in population as such, but rather varying where tax credits have little purchase. focusing resources on those currently degrees of poverty. There is a wide So, in the early years of the leaving our education system with few or spectrum of people living in poverty. Government’s commitment, those closest no qualifications and skills.” Even so, identifying those in severe to the edge of what is defined to be ‘in This places a heavy burden of poverty is important because the classical poverty’ were the ones most quickly responsibility on the Welsh Government government action in dealing with the helped – which, for a time, improved the in Cardiff Bay and our 22 local problem – tax credits and manipulating statistics. In recent years, however, the authorities. Some of the main policies we the benefits system - tend not to reach proportion of people in poverty has need to deploy are articulated in Tackling the worst off. So for example, it is become more residualised to people child poverty and disadvantage in relatively easy to lift those people living experiencing severe poverty, a group that schools , a ground-breaking report on incomes just below 60 per cent of the by definition is harder to help. published by Estyn, the Welsh schools average income to just above it. Save the Children’s main response is inspectorate, in January. In 1998 the UK Government to highlight education as the main long- A key message in the report is that

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helping the most disadvantaged in particular schools. Generally early which offer solutions, for example a children, gauged by the number intervention was key, especially in the project being undertaken by the receiving free school meals, helps all years before children enter primary Glyncoch Communities First Partnership children in a school. The indisputable school. For example, one primary school near Pontypridd. As Sarah Lloyd-Jones evidence for this is that the educational used funding from a Welsh Government reports, in the following article, this performance of all pupils declines as the programme to employ an extra teacher. involves long-term intensive work to proportion of those receiving free This allowed the school to offer nursery build relationships between families and school meals increases. places alongside a parents’ support schools in the area to support children The Estyn report comes up with programme that included training and young adults in learning. Despite such case studies of good Illustration practice there is a huge variance produced by between the performance of schools, a child from a south Wales and also between local authorities across Communities First area, working Wales. The Estyn report picks out with a Save the Neath Port Talbot as a local authority Children project. where disadvantaged learners in secondary schools achieve well. In 2008, it was the best-performing local authority for pupils aged 14 to 18, with 28 per cent of free-school-meal pupils achieving the core subject indicators (English or Welsh, Maths, and Science) compared to just 8 per cent in the worst local authority and an average of 17 per cent across Wales as a whole. mainly commonsense recommendations, sessions for parents on learning through As the report says: but important ones nonetheless. It found play. A simple weekly activity was given “A key factor in the success of that schools that do well in disadvantaged to parents in order to stimulate discussion Neath Port Talbot has been the high areas have highly effective leadership and at home. quality of leadership from the local consistently good teaching, and place an Some secondary schools exploited authority and from individual schools. emphasis on particular activities or the potential of learning coaches to help The local authority and schools have combination of activities. For instance, improve the performance of worked together over a number of years successful schools: disadvantaged pupils by providing to develop a culture that promotes high • Attach great importance to extra- additional support and guidance. One standards of achievement, especially for curricular and out-of-school-hours school had a coach assigned to each disadvantaged learners. There is a clear provision, including cultural and sport year group and interviewed the pupils emphasis on openness, partnership enrichment, as well as extra educational each month. In these meetings the working and a strong sense of trust support such as homework clubs at learning coach had the brief of between the authority and schools, and lunch times or after school. developing a relationship with the pupil between schools. This has led to a • Have high expectations of standards so that they could support and guide transparency in sharing information and behaviour and a zero tolerance of them through difficulties with class about the performance of all schools and excuses for poor provision or work, behavioural issues and a willingness to share best practice.” underachievement. relationships. The coach advised on Such best practice needs to be • Work closely with parents and the wider study skills, organisational strategies and rolled out on a systematic basis across community to reinforce expectations. approaches to homework. Wales as the best long-term hope of • Give substantial attention to developing There are also some very useful stemming the rising number of Welsh pupils’ social and emotional skills, practical ideas on tackling child poverty children living in severe poverty. and improving their confidence and in a report on Guidance for Community self-esteem. First Partnerships . Published by the Welsh Government in October 2009, The Estyn report highlights best practice this highlights a number of initiatives John Osmond is Director of the IWA.

20 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Young people involved in the Build it in Glyncoch project which supports access to further education and employment. Finding the tipping point Sarah Lloyd-Jones reports on the Glyncoch initiative to tackle low education achievement

Poverty predicts poor educational The last Census showed that 51 per and multi-dimensional approach. attainment, but it cannot be simply cent of adults in Glyncoch have no The second criteria for our work was seen as its cause. Some children qualifications and only 12 per cent had that the community had to be part of the from poor families do very well in a qualification at Level 3 or above. Two solution to tackling the gap in attainment, school. The evidence suggests that a years ago, when the work started, there since issues around aspirations and complex mix of factors impact on was not one young person from expectations, behaviour and support are why so many children from poor Glyncoch in university. GCSE culturally informed. This meant working families fail to achieve in school. examination results showed that even with everyone and making education and These include the aspirations and the real stars of the primary school learning core to all aspects of the work of expectations of their families and failed to fulfil their potential. We the Glyncoch Partnership. friends, cultural and behavioural focused on three core conditions for The third criteria was that we issues, the conditions of life that success in education being: needed to know how we were doing in poverty creates, such as overcrowded stimulating change and when we had houses, poorer health and greater • High quality opportunities. reached an hypothesised ‘tipping point’. reliance on services and the family • The capabilities and orientation We judged this to be the moment when learning environment. For the last of young people to make best use there were enough people in Glyncoch two years the People and Work Unit of those opportunities. committed to learning and celebrating has been working in Glyncoch, a • Support that would build their success to have a material impact on community near Pontypridd, with capacity at best, or compensate for the achievements of local children. We the Communities First Partnership gaps at worst. decided on a narrow focus around and local schools to develop a better changes in pupil attainment, attendance understanding of how poverty works Our analysis was that children can and family involvement in learning. Not to depress educational attainment still do well where only two of those all the work would focus on school, or and what practical steps are effective components are in place. However, even families with pupils in school, but in combating its effects. where two or three are lacking, and our hypothesis is that there is a with children in poverty they frequently ‘community effect’ that impacts on are, we would need a holistic, long-term learning and this can be measured.

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An integrated programme of activities was set up to work across the community with specific elements for adults, young people, and children at school. In each case there are dedicated programmes: Chance to Learn for adults, Build it Glyncoch for young people, and School Focused Communitie s for children.

Adults: Chance to Learn works to identify, recruit and support adults to attend adult, community, further and higher education courses or to go into employment. The case worker, herself an experienced adult and further education tutor who has a counselling degree, gets to know people, visiting them at home and providing information, advice and encouragement to bring them into local learning provision. She also works, in partnership with staff in the Glyncoch Partnership, to identify learning providers, monitor the quality of provision and map out progression routes. She provides support as long as it is needed. So, for example, after helping two young women apply to go to university and complete application and finance forms, going with them to open days and interviews, she has continued to provide

In partnership with Rathbone Glyncoch encouragement and support as they trainees gain basic skills in carpentry. work on their degrees.

Finally there had to be ‘quick wins’, local people, and to help them use the Young people: obvious evidence of change and impact programmes effectively. Where possible The Build It Glyncoch project provides that would make people want to be a the decision was taken not to set up direct learning opportunities and part of whatever was happening. new learning provision. Instead, we set supports young adults to access further Consequently, the work has been linked out to develop ‘enabling’ programmes education and employment. The into a whole range of activities that help that would support access to, and programme focuses on built make people feel good about where success in, mainstream services. We environment trades and recruits young they live. were successful in gaining support from men (so far) from Glyncoch into a The Glyncoch Partnership identified the Rank, Paul Hamlyn and Esmée team that is working to improve the education and learning as one of its Fairbairn charitable foundations to get local environment. In partnership with three key strategic programmes. At the some new work going. As a result the Rathbone the young trainees are helped outset it held a series of events to bring Glyncoch Partnership was able to to gain basic skills in carpentry and local people and key agencies together refocus its resources through woodwork, painting and decorating, to identify how to bend mainstream Communities First to take the ground work and plastering. They have programmes to better meet the needs of programme forward. refurbished a flat owned by RCT

22 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Homes and cleared an area of but I think what he doesn’t realise is impact on some of the poorest woodland in the centre of Glyncoch that these boys didn’t have the support attendees. This project has now been and helped make benches and from home he or I had. And at some developed through the Communities sculptures to create a forest path. Two point we’ve all needed that little push First Demonstration Fund to involve of the first group of trainees are now in when things get tough. four other Communities First areas college following trades and will be and the People and Work Unit is supported to find apprenticeships. The School pupils: monitoring its effect. role of the team leader continues to be The School Focused Communities These three areas of work are important as they go through college, as project works to build pupils’ capacity underpinned by a strong Communities he writes below: to succeed in school and their families’ First Partnership that provides high I had a visit from T saying he had capacity to help them do so. One quality, strategic programmes around been kicked out of college for poor strand of the work is following a cohort play and youth work, environmental attendance and that he was too far of Year 6 (last year primary) and Year development and community behind to catch up. He said ‘I’m gutted, 7 (first year secondary) pupils from development. Although it is early days I didn’t realise what I had until it was Glyncoch right through to GCSE to assess the impact of the work on gone!’ I made contact with the Head of results day. The idea is to work with Glyncoch some striking improvements Construction and explained the them and their families both in school have already been made: situation; he went and spoke to T’s and back in the community. A second tutors and agreed that T could continue strand works with young people from • Chronically low attendance amongst in college providing his attendance Glyncoch in other year groups who year seven pupils has improved improves and he catches up with the have been identified by the school as dramatically. rest of the programme. I then asked needing additional help. The first step • For the first time, young people him if I could have some sort of is to identify services that can be and families are accessing relationship with the college where they brought in to help, such as a Family homework support. can inform me of any issues they might Learning programme. Where necessary • More young people are accessing extra curricular activities and other services that the local school has to offer. • Young people who have had a reputation for challenging behaviour have developed personal goals and are making significant progress. • Five school leavers disengaged from education and employment are one year into a five year intensive programme to learn a trade. • Young people from Glyncoch are accessing university for the first time in years. • Adult learning has doubled within one year.

So far Chance to Learn has been running for 18 months, Build it in Glyncoch for two years, and the School Focussed Communities project for nearly a year. Despite these short periods the results so far indicate a be having and then I can possibly new activities have been developed, promising response to the initiatives. resolve them before they get out of such as a homework club and one to hand. He is very much in favour of the one support for A-Level students in the Sarah Lloyd-Jones is Director of students being responsible for community. The work started in April the People and Work Unit, based themselves. I agree to a certain level 2009 and already has had a dramatic in Abergavenny.

spring 2 01 0 | 23 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture Effective parenting Judy Hutchings says Wales should build on its record of early intervention to tackle children at risk

the UK age of criminal responsibility, young as 10 are among a wave of currently 10 and among the lowest in youngsters committing violent offences Europe, is not the answer to such with more than 1,300 children aged 16 problems. These youngsters are not or below arrested for violent crime likely to be deterred by the threat of during the last year. punishment since in all probability they Finding ways to promote effective have already experienced abuse, parenting for our children is the key to violence and harsh and inconsistent most of these problems. The death of parenting. The recent suicide of Fiona baby Peter is an example of the Pilkington and death of her daughter extreme outcomes from poor and Youth crime and extreme antisocial Francsecca at her mother’s hands as a abusive parenting. In the case of the behaviour in children and young final escape from teenage campaign of Doncaster youngsters we can only hope people continues to hit the headlines. violence, hassling and bullying is that their life in detention exposes them The recent Doncaster case of two another example of the problems we to experiences that give them an boys, aged 10 and 11, who battered face as a society. We have to find opportunity to establish the trusting and sexually abused two other solutions that stop these things from relationships that are the foundation of children, leaving one for dead, is one happening in the first place. empathy. The remarkable story of of the more extreme examples. The One by-product is a rise in anxiety Jimmy Boyle, the Glasgow gangland story prompted renewed press levels among social workers about the killer, who during his prison years took coverage of Jamie Bulger’s death a many complex cases that they are part in a rehabilitative educational decade ago at the hands of two boys, monitoring, resulting in an upsurge in project in Baerlinnie prison and now who were at the time only 10 years of requests to take children into the care lives and works as an artist and author, age. The coverage intensified in system. Whilst this is an is an example of a success story. Erwin March when it was revealed that one understandable response, outcomes James, double murderer who first of the killers, Jon Venables, had been for children within the care system started writing a column whilst still in returned to prison following a breach themselves carry risks. Care leavers are prison and is now a Guardian of the terms of his release on a life 50 times more likely to go to prison, 60 journalist, is another. It serves to remind licence. More outpouring of public times more likely to be homeless, and us that, with the right support, it is hatred were accompanied by repeated 88 times more likely to be involved in possible for even the most damaged showing of the video footage of the drug use than children and young people to learn new ways of viewing the moments when Jamie was led away. people who have not been ‘looked world and themselves and obtain some after’ by local authorities. happiness that they surely deserve. It is hard to imagine the kind of life We have our share of such Problematic environmental experiences that these youngsters have problems in Wales. The north Wales influences on children can start in utero had that leave them so lacking in child abuse inquiry relating to children where foetuses are exposed to drugs, empathy and able to behave in such in care between 1974 and 1990 found legal or illicit, and the effects of cruel and sadistic ways. Nonetheless, evidence of systematic abuse of young circulating hormones that are a there is clear evidence of the people by their adult carers. The response to maternal stress and anxiety. circumstances that can produce such resulting Waterhouse report, published They can then continue through early behaviour and many other lesser in 2000, proposed wide-ranging childhood where damage is done either degrees of damage that result in reforms of the care system. In south by neglecting the child’s emotional, antisocial youth behaviour. Lowering Wales, police report that children as social or physical needs, whether by

24 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org mothers who are extremely depressed early work demonstrated that, after up data has shown that all of these and therefore unresponsive to their treating young severely conduct- improvements have been maintained. child’s needs, or by deliberate disordered children aged 10 or younger, it Welsh Government funding to train emotional, physical or sexual abuse. took four years for savings to the public staff to deliver the programmes started The first three years of life are purse to become apparent. in 2006. By March 2008 all 22 local particularly important. The growth of Early intervention has to include all authorities in Wales had trained staff to brain imaging techniques has of the environments in which children deliver the Incredible Years parent demonstrated that babies are born with find themselves, whether it be in the programmes. By Summer 2008 they very immature brains, in a sense home, child-care or school. It is had all delivered the programme, with premature, and their brains undergo encouraging that services are over 150 groups delivered across Wales remarkable changes in the first three developing across Wales to address all during 2007-08. This represented an years of life. This includes the of these settings. In Agenda two years excellent return on investment and development of areas of the cortex that ago I wrote about how the Welsh encouraged the Government to are responsive to others, the roots of Government was leading the way in continue to fund the training activity. In empathy. Without appropriate providing evidence-based support to the meantime the Sure Start project in opportunities to develop close and parents living in high risk Wales was incorporated into Cymorth loving relationships, with people who are disadvantaged communities across funding, spanning a wider age range. responsive to their needs, damage is Wales through its Parenting Action A new initiative, Flying Start , was done in these early years that, though Plan for Wales , published in 2005 and established to target families in the most not beyond repair, becomes ever harder and more costly to resolve. The likelihood of children experiencing poor parenting is greatly increased if they live in poverty, with single, young or unsupported parents who are struggling with substance dependency, mental health problems and/or in coercive and possibly violent relationships themselves. The answer has to be effective early intervention for which there is now an enormous amount of high quality evidence. One of the best summaries of this evidence was recently published by two MPs, Graham Allen and Iain Duncan Smith, whose book Early Intervention: Good parents, great kids , better citizens is available to download Children from the Vale of Glamorgan participating free from www.thesmithinstitute or in the Incredible Years baby and toddler programme. www.centreforsocialjustice . The case that they set out for early intervention, implemented since 2006. disadvantaged communities in Wales. and the longer term costs of failing to This included implementation of Flying Start , which supports parents do so, is irrefutable. our Incredible Years parenting scheme, with children aged 0-3, has four We know how to identify children at developed at Bangor University to components: intensive health visiting, risk of both harm and of developing engage with parents of high-risk three parent and child language and play antisocial behaviour problems (in most and four year olds in north and mid sessions, nursery provision and cases these are the same children), but Wales. Our study reported improved parenting support. The Incredible identification requires skilled professionals parent-child relationships, increased Years baby and toddler programmes fit to both monitor and intervene and this is positive and reduced negative parenting, well with this project and since 2008 expensive. We also know which increased child compliance, reduced Government funding has enabled staff programmes have evidence that they work child aggression and improved parental to be trained to deliver them. An in improving parenting and reducing risk, mental health, and specifically a additional grant enabled us to research but again there are significant costs and reduction in maternal depression. Even the toddler programme across Wales the savings are not immediate. My own more impressively, our four-year follow- with parents of one and two-year-olds.

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The results demonstrated reduced The benefits of the Gwynedd services but to date these have targeted negative parenting and improved approach have been repeatedly ‘high risk’ communities. Whilst there is parental well-being relative to control identified in Estyn reports, both in greater risk to children living in these families that did not attend the individual reports and for the areas there are many high-risk children programme. New funding was found countywide education service as a living elsewhere that need identification in 2009 to research the baby and whole. Collaboration with Gwynedd and support. In terms of education the school readiness parent programmes continues with a £400,000 Big lottery Government has put in place some and we are also researching the funded research project to establish the innovative programmes as part of the benefits of delivering the toddler added benefits of additional social and Foundation Phase and this is a ‘universal’ programme to crèche and nursery emotional coaching for high-risk provision. However, children’s contact staff. The baby and toddler children using the therapeutic Dinosaur with school comes too late to prevent the programmes have been enthusiastically School programme. serious early abuse and neglect. taken up across Wales, ensuring that The potential contribution of the There will be some hard choices to services are offered to parents even make in Westminster and Cardiff. The earlier in their child’s life. This is really financial difficulties faced by the starting to address the delivery of Westminster Government will require support to parents from the start. cuts in public spending, whichever There have been important changes party is in power after the election, and in early years education across Wales. this will impact on funding for Wales. The development of the ‘Foundation At the present time the UK is 24th out Phase’ curriculum for children in their of 29 countries in the EU league table early school years has its focus on for child wellbeing, with unemployed learning through play and exploration families, poor environments and low with the aim of creating self-motivated numbers of young people in education Nazli Savasan, a child worker from Turkey learners. As with the abolition of SATS with Dina the Dinosaur, participating in among the factors that contribute. in our primary schools, to free teachers the Dinosaur School social, emotional and We must continue to make the case problem solving programme from a rigid academic curriculum, this that any reduction in funding for early again put Wales at the forefront in child and teacher programmes to the intervention is morally and, in the long promoting the social and emotional Foundation Phase goals has been term, financially unacceptable. Despite development of children that is an recognised by the Welsh Government difficult times ahead more, not less essential foundation for academic and funding has included training for funding is required to support children success. The Foundation Phase school staff in these programmes from and families and to reduce the longer philosophy is supported by the 2009. In a further innovative step the term costs of abuse and anti-social Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Government incorporated training for behaviour. The lifetime costs of an anti- Management programme and linked to school-based staff to deliver the school social child are well documented and can the Dinosaur School social, emotional readiness programme, a four-session include special education, entry into the and problem solving curriculum. initiative targeting parents as their care system, criminality, prison, mental The Welsh evidence for the child children start school in order to and physical health problems and a and teacher programmes comes promote home-school partnerships. lifetime on state benefits adding up to primarily from Gwynedd which has Again Gwynedd have taken the lead £1million or more over a lifetime of one invested heavily in training staff from here and have a growing number of individual. We already have Welsh all of its 102 primary schools in the schools delivering Incredible Years children costing their local authorities Incredible Years Teacher Classroom parent programmes. Government £5,000 per week in high security Management principles and to deliver funding for 2010-11 continues to residential settings. There is some the Classroom Dinosaura curriculum. expand the skills of staff across Wales excellent work being done in Wales and Research in Gwynedd has in delivering the Incredible Years it is rewarding that the Incredible Years demonstrated both their acceptability to parent, child and teacher programmes. programmes are contributing, but there teachers and objective benefits, Will developments in Wales be is much more to do. including increased teacher use of sufficient to protect against the sort of positive discipline strategies, improved problems discussed at the beginning of Judy Hutchings is a Professor teacher-pupil relationships and greater this article? The Welsh Government has in the School of Psychology at engagement by pupils. made great progress in setting up effective Bangor University.

26 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Anita Myfanwy makes the case for moving child poverty and social exclusion in rural Wales higher up the policy agenda

Out of sight

Rural playing field at Ysgol Botwnnog, near the centre of the Ll yˆn - one of the out of mind most isolated in Wales.

Rural child poverty is difficult to see Although transport is a frequently also diminished. As the larger and so it tends to get overlooked. cited problem by young people in rural supermarkets have been built on the One of the biggest unseen problems Wales it is by no means the only periphery of towns the rural shop has for many children is the distance ‘unseen’ issue that gets overlooked. The met with an additional threat to its they have to travel from their number and quality of pubic services livelihood. Medical services, especially homes to school or the nearest have declined generally in rural areas in dentistry, Job Centres and libraries have town when public transport is recent years. Rural schools face being also become more centralised. either infrequent or non-existent, closed down due to the decrease in the All this has left many rural especially in the evenings. birth rate, many rural post offices have communities with little or no public been closed, and banking facilities have services. Low-income households have Ysgol Botwnnog, near the centre of the Ll yˆn Peninsula, must be one of the most isolated secondary schools in the whole of “There needs to be a way of getting the young people of Pen Ll yˆn Wales. It is 12 miles from Pwllheli and together. The answer? Regular buses, which allow children to go to different places so that they can enjoy each other’s company. There isn’t Aberdaron. Its 500 pupils aged 11 to 16 any bus passing my house to take me anywhere, not to Pwllheli the come from a catchment area within a 15- nearest town, nor to the library, nor to the cinema.” mile radius of the school. Accessing public transport and the costs involved “We are being excluded from amenities because we live in a rural area. are undoubtedly a major reason why This is unfair and it is not acceptable. I want to be able to depend on children, young people and their families local buses instead of on my mother and father. They cannot take four face social exclusion and isolation. children to different places at the same time.” Certainly, every member of Ysgol Botwnnog’s School Council stated that “It is difficult to socialise and go to local clubs because there is no they have to rely on parents to take them transport like public buses to take us from one place to another. Indeed, if by car to after school clubs, Young we want to change this situation people need to listen to the voice of young people in Pen Ll yˆn. As a person from a rural area I feel a if I’m Farmers Clubs, Yr Urdd and school suffering because I am far from everywhere and that there are no buses to matches. A cross-section of their views is take me from pace to another.” contained in the accompanying panel. One way of enabling these children “I can never see my friends during the summer and I lose touch with to travel more easily would be to extend them. I cannot pop over to see them because they live too far away. But the hours on their school bus passes. Of it would be alright if there were buses.” course, this would not help when, as is often the case, there are simply no bus Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural Wales , End Child Poverty Network Cymru, September 2009. services in the evenings.

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young people to participate and to develop a sense of connectedness and belonging with their communities. Being a member of a local youth club is important for confidence building and developing social skills. However, child poverty and social exclusion needs to be addressed in a more systematic way by government. One reason that this has not happened adequately in the past is simply because they are more difficult to measure in rural areas. The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation measures deprivation in clusters which inevitably creates a bias towards urban communities. Funding is mainly allocated to areas which are identified as

Being a member of a local youth club is important for confidence building and developing social skills.

having multiple deprivation, which tend A car is essential for out of hours activities at Ysgol Botwnnog. to be Communities First areas in urban Wales. Hence deprivation in isolated become particularly more vulnerable to the recession and general fall in house rural areas tends not to receive the social exclusion in their rural prices, has still been compounded by priority it deserves. communities. And not owning a car in phenomenal price rises in many parts Recently, however, more recognition rural Wales makes a family highly of west Wales, specially near the coast. for rural deprivation and social vulnerable to social exclusion. Coupled with the low-income economy, exclusion has been acknowledged. Unemployment is highest in the this means that the ratio of house prices Greater credence was provided by western rural parts of Wales which also to income is higher in Pembrokeshire, publication of Poverty and Deprivation have the lowest income levels in the Ceredigion and Gwynedd than the rest in Rural Wales by the National country. The Welsh Rural Observatory of Wales. Assembly’s Rural Sub-Committee in found that of the 4,000 household Many examples of community 2008, and the Families not Areas Suffer surveyed in 2004, a quarter of them lived self-help are highlighted in the Child Rural Disadvantage report by Children on less than £10,000 a year. Only 52 Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural in Wales in the same year. per cent of those living in low-income Wales report. One is a Local There is hope, therefore, that the households were in full-time employment. Committee that has been organised in rural dimension of child poverty will rise In these same areas there is a Nebo and Nasareth, villages in the higher up the agenda when the Welsh prevalence of part-time, seasonal and Nantlle Valley in Gwynedd, to keep the Government publishes its revised self-employment, much of it linked to community alive. It organises a Clwb National Child Poverty Strategy in May. tourism. So three-quarters of low Cant, a summer play scheme, open income households were employed in evenings, coffee mornings, plant swaps, Anita Myfanwy works with Children hotels and catering. potato growing competitions, and in Wales in north Wales and is There is also a lack of affordable seasonal activities such as walks in the Development Officer with End Child housing in rural Wales which, despite locality. This enables children and Poverty Network Cymru.

28 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org resources and services will be used to improve outcomes and reduce the Breaking the cycle inequalities that currently exist. We have made early use of new of deprivation law-making powers to add weight to our action to tackle child poverty. Huw Lewis advocates integrated support mechanisms for The Children and Families (Wales) families in the fight against child poverty Measure, which became law in February 2010, demonstrates our commitment to providing support to those families and children in greatest need. It specifically places a duty on Welsh Ministers to publish a new statutory Child Poverty Strategy for Wales in 2010 and to keep this under review. We recognise the key role played by other partners in the shared fight against child poverty. Therefore the legislation also places a duty on specific Welsh public bodies to identify, and take action, to assist in the goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020. Deputy Minister for Children Huw Lewis speaking at the launch of the Pupil Voice Wales Website. The potential range of issues facing families in poverty can vary enormously. Having campaigned on child poverty legislative tools at our disposal in Wales Getting the right partnership working is issues for more than a decade I to make further progress. therefore a complex, but fundamental remain convinced that tackling child The child poverty agenda is too challenge. Integrating support from poverty is one of, if not the biggest quickly dismissed as a Westminster agencies as diverse as the NHS, schools, challenge, facing the Welsh issue by some. Although tax and youth justice, Jobcentre Plus and the Government over the next few years. benefits are key levers in reducing third sector as well as local authorities When I was appointed to the cabinet poverty, by using the multi-billion is not easy. in December the First Minister pound Welsh Government budget we The programme of support which Carwyn Jones made it clear that the can transform the life chances of each family will need to help them escape major focus of my role as Deputy thousands of children in disadvantaged poverty needs to be tailored to their Minister for Children would be to communities. We must continue to individual circumstances on a case by co-ordinate Government action to seize this opportunity at all times and case basis. Our vision is to take a holistic tackle child poverty. do even more. family approach, to put in place coherent In Wales today, there are around support for families that will help take The Assembly Government has made 200,000 children living in poverty. them on a journey out of poverty. an ambitious commitment to support These children and young people We therefore need to strengthen the UK Government’s drive to eradicate growing up in poverty are vulnerable in local partnership working to offer the child poverty by 2020. Although we a number of different ways. We know right support for individual families have made good progress in meeting our they are at more risk of poor health, across a range of issues from child poverty goals since devolution, the poor education attainment, have lower unemployment, education, health and most recent figures since the start of the skills and aspirations – and are more housing to debt, parenting and benefits. recession show a slight increase in the likely to be low paid, unemployed and At the same time it needs to remain number of children living in poverty. We welfare dependent in adulthood. Our simple to access from the perspective of must raise our game if we are to break new child poverty strategy sets out how the family. Our family-focused solution the cycle of deprivation and change the we will address the needs of low income needs to be able to reach out to families lives of disadvantaged children. It is families with children and ensure that and win their trust. In short, we need a crucial that we use all the policy and our cross-government range of policies, solution that locally offers families help

spring 2 01 0 | 29 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture

to improve their chances of escaping We are fully committed to promoting poverty through offering help to find parental employment in a way that is work as well as providing the right consistent with family life. Our new Tackling information on benefit issues. It needs child poverty strategy aims to provide to be tailored to help individual family parents of children with the skills severe circumstances, integrated in terms of necessary for paid employment as well ensuring that help from different as help young people take advantage of child organisations is effectively coordinated, opportunities into employment. In order as well as pro-active in looking for those to achieve this we will continue to families which can benefit from early target support to Communities First poverty preventative help. areas where people face several barriers Good practice in Wales already to accessing work and training. We also exists in the work being carried out by need to continue supporting the several Children and Young People’s parenting of children and improving Trudy Aspinwall sets out some Partnerships. Some ‘Team around the the home environment in which some priorities for the Welsh Government Child’ approaches show great promise children live as we know this can have in bringing professionals and people a major impact on the developmental, The first priority for the Welsh from a range of agencies together to education and health outcomes of Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, deal with families on a holistic basis. children and young people. due to be launched in May, should be Further afield there are good Programmes we already have in place to engage with the severe poverty of examples elsewhere in the UK and other such as Flying Start and Genesis Wales the at least 96,000 Welsh children countries which we are using to develop are helping to remove barriers to living in households with below 50 per our approach. One example is the employment by making free childcare cent of average incomes. Harlem Children's Zone in New York available so parents who can work or which offers all-encompassing education, learn new skills. The Strategy should aim to bring a social-service and community-building Child poverty is not an issue that holistic approach to the implementation programmes to children and families in will disappear overnight. Tackling child of policy. It needs to co-ordinate the the area. The programme has helped poverty takes a huge amount of interventions that can be made by the end the cycle of poverty through commitment across government and education, health and social justice innovative schemes which teach our partner organisations in the rest of departments within the Welsh parenting skills, help parents and the public, voluntary and private Government. Without the ability to work children prepare for school as well sectors. Our new Child Poverty across departmental boundaries, both offering advice about benefits, financial Strategy is about taking a fresh look at locally and nationally, we will not achieve advice and debt relief counselling. It is how we can prevent progress from our goals. Key priorities should be: this type of integrated model of support stalling further by having the right for families that we want to replicate on programmes and support mechanisms • Income maximisation: The Welsh a Wales-wide basis. I have recently in place to help low income families Government should encourage committed £1.5 million to fund a pilot with children out of the poverty trap. increased take-up of benefits, including which adopts this type of community Through the new strategy we will be Working Tax credits for those living in approach to family support. setting a new policy direction on child severe poverty. This should be done by Tackling poverty reaches across poverty at the Wales level so that there providing more advice. One welfare every area of Government policy in is absolute clarity on what the Welsh rights worker costing approximately Wales. The evidence shows that Government’s contribution to this £25,000 can expect to generate employment (particularly-full time crucial agenda will be over the next few £250,000 of income for families and employment) is highly protective against years. The political will and drive is individuals eligible for benefits. poverty. However, we know that there and essentially we will do employment does not always provide whatever it takes. • Employment: Improving the the route out of relative poverty. It is availability, affordability and flexibility also important that we take action to of child care provision, so that parents tackle ‘in work’ poverty through policy can find work, are central to any action action on workforce development, job Huw Lewis is Deputy Minister for on poverty. Employment programmes flexibility and so on. Children in the Welsh Government. should be more flexible and ‘family

30 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org friendly’ to meet the differing needs of parents and those hardest to reach.

• Education: Narrowing the attainment gap between the poorest children and the better off is key to breaking the cycle of poverty in the medium to long term. Action is needed to remove the hidden costs of education for low income families. There should be more emphasis on the transition of poorer children from early years through primary and into secondary school. Urgent action is needed to reduce disengagement from schools for parents Illustration produced by a child from a south Wales Communities First area, working with a Save the Children project. as well as pupils, to raise aspirations and to prepare and support young For example, education inspection Family Resources survey. people for working life. regimes should develop criteria relating to Finally, the child poverty strategy the achievement and attainment levels of should focus on listening to children and • Engaging harder to reach families children living in severe poverty. enhance the participation of children with multiple disadvantage: This is a Save the Children Wales has from the poorest families and major challenge for Wales to be able to commissioned a study examining how communities who are often denied this deliver on child poverty within current partnership working can improve the opportunity. The illustrations resources. The strategy should set out educational attainment of the poorest accompanying this article and on page ways that all services and providers can children in Wales. Whilst this has found 20, demonstrate the real contribution that be involved, not just those traditionally some examples of good practice few were young people’s views and experiences in the children’s sector. Those working being implemented strategically across the can make. They were produced by in economic development, transport, board. Problems often stemmed from young people working with Save the and housing benefit administration will different views and perspectives taken by Children to develop their understanding need to collaborate to tackle child different agencies. So, for example, of childrens rights and poverty issues and poverty. The Welsh Government’s schools may be implementing literacy to campaign for changes they would like aspirations for a partnership approach and numeracy strategies, voluntary sector to to see in their Communities First areas between services needs to be made to organisations may be providing parent in south Wales. work. For example, analysis of local support, and Communities First may be Article 4 of the UN Convention on authority Children and Young Peoples providing extra curricular activities. the Rights of the Child, ratified over 20 plans shows that progress is patchy However, such different interventions are years ago by the UK Government, across Wales. Many areas have a long rarely integrated into a coherent child obliges governments to fulfil children’s way to go in terms of devising and poverty plan. rights to the “ maximum effect of their implementing effective plans to reduce A robust child poverty strategy also available resources ”. If child poverty is to child poverty. requires clear milestones and targets to be a top priority for the Welsh Public bodies and planning partnerships monitor what is being delivered, both by Government it has to deploy more of its should be required to ‘child poverty the Welsh Government and by local own resources to the task of eradicating proof’ all of their policies and services. authorities. The strategy should identify child poverty by 2020. short-term targets that can be delivered This year marks the half-way point quickly, and also medium and long-term since the 2020 target date was set. The targets. These need to be ambitious but Welsh Government’s forthcoming Child achievable. In implementing a target- Poverty Strategy needs to contain bold driven approach the Welsh Government and radical commitments if the lives of needs more robust evidence. The strategy children in the most severe poverty are to should therefore address the further be transformed. development of the Child Well Being Monitor in Wales and increase the size Trudy Aspinwall is Child Rights Policy of the Wales sample of the UK-wide Officer with Save the Children Wales.

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Future of the Re d- Green Allianc e Fault lines in Welsh politics Jonathan Edwards

For the best part of the last century Labour political domination over the nation at all elected levels has meant that opposing parties such as Plaid have had to operate within a hegemonic political environment. Unable to directly implement our political programme we have had to work with those elements of the Labour party who share our vision of delivering social justice in Wales via greater political self determination.

Now, however, we are entering a new political environment where Labour's traditional domination over Welsh politics is at an end and a new plurality is developing. This requires a significant strategic adjustment for all political parties in Wales, but particularly Plaid and Labour. The coalition that was built to secure the referendum victory in 1997 remains the main achievement of the Red- Heading up the Red-Green Alliance - Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and First Minster Carwyn Jones. Green strategy so far, and a tribute to the close working relationship of then Plaid leader Dafydd Wigley and the then Welsh Secretary of State, Ron Davies. control of all but two local authorities in the 2008 elections, The current One Wales agreement is Red-Green in its and probably more significantly not winning a Welsh national purest form, with the Labour party effectively operating a election for the first time in nearly a century in the 2009 delivery device promoting Plaid’s social justice, cultural and European elections. Labour are likely to lose a significant constitutional objectives. At the same time we should be number of their Welsh MPs at the Westminster General totally clear that Part 4 of the 2006 Government of Wales Act Election in May to both Plaid and the Tories, and possibly to is Labour’s policy. Its just that we wanted to implement their the Liberal Democrats in Swansea and Newport. Without policy faster than them. I’m delighted that we have won that Rhodri Morgan at the helm Labour is likely to hemorrhage battle. In return, the Labour party has been allowed to lead further support to Plaid and the Tories in the 2011 National the Welsh Government. Assembly elections. However, it would be misleading to portray One Wales For Labour, Red-Green enables them to pursue a pan- purely as a nationalist programme of Government. The values Wales political strategy by challenging Plaid in the northern and policy aims are shared by many progressives in the Welsh and western parts of the country. Following a unionist strategy Labour Party. In many ways the Red-Green alliance is a natural would be a road to political ruin for Labour as they would partnership. The Welsh wing of the Labour party has far more effectively become a Greater Gwent party, whilst facing a in common with Plaid than it does with its own unionist wing. growing Plaid challenge in that much of the rest of the Political strategies always have a secondary motive. country. Carwyn Jones knows he has no hope of securing the Ultimately, from a Plaid perspective, Red-Green aims to holy grail of an overall majority in 2011 unless he wins back undermine Labour political hegemony over Wales. To this seats like Llanelli, Carmarthen West, Arfon, Aberconwy, extent, the strategy has been far more successful than Clwyd West and Ynys Mon. Some of these seats are anticipated. Labour is in electoral free fall in Wales, losing obviously Tory held constituencies and in fact will be Plaid (Article co ntinues on page 34)

32 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Future of the Re d- Green Allianc e Facing the future with confidence Mark Drakeford

• Having a message which Welsh citizens understand as authentically Labour. • Communicating this message in a language which voters recognise as their own. • Never, ever, taking the support which the Party has enjoyed for so long for granted.

The ratio of perspiration to inspiration is the same for politics as it was for the inventor Thomas Edison, and in achieving electoral, as well as electrical illumination there is no substitute for hard work. Looking forward, there seems little reason to depart from what recent opinion polling in Wales suggests – that the Assembly’s particular electoral system is very likely, in the 2011 election, to leave Labour as the largest party, by some distance, with an outside, but by no means impossible, chance of an overall majority. Having experienced the 2003–07 Assembly, Those of us who lived through the 1980s read so many my own conclusion is unambiguously that 30 seats does not obituaries of the Labour Party that it was often a represent a working majority for a full Assembly term. There surprise to wake up in the morning and find that we may be political exigencies which make it impossible for a were not only still alive, but winning elections at every Labour leader to do anything other than attempt to form a level here in Wales. Then we were told that single party administration in such circumstances, but its knife- demographic and economic change ‘proved’ that Labour edge existence does not make for stable government, or one could never win again. Today, the soothsayers are at it which can easily make long-term decisions. In a period when again, only now they assure us that it is Labour’s very financial circumstances are going to face all Ministers with electoral success which dooms the Party to opposition. difficult choices, the need for durability and an eye to the We’ve simply won too many elections. ‘Time for a future will be all the more necessary. change’, one of the most potent slogans in any politics, Against such a background, some thinking about a means that we can’t win again. coalition after May 2011 is a necessary precaution. It seems clear to me that Labour’s interests are best served by having The lesson, and the health warning, is this: beware any one more than one option open, should this be the verdict of the who tells you that anything is ‘bound’ to happen. voters. The coalition between Labour and Plaid Cymru has, I Determinism may work well enough for Marxists but voters believe, been a success. It has benefited from a clear and open appear to be less impressed by such a doctrine. Instead, the policy agreement and a set of political arrangements, agreed in realities of politics are more banal. There is an electoral lesson advance. Business has been conducted, too, by Ministers who for Labour from the devolution decade, but rather than any possess a nuanced understanding of what it takes to pursue a high-flown talk of ‘realignment’ or Darwinian decline, it is common programme, while retaining distinct party identities. simply this: that political success depends on: Coalition government requires a quiet maturity far more (Article co ntinues on page 35)

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Fault Lines in Welsh Politics versus Tory marginals in 2011. Nonetheless, the easiest route gaining additional constituency seats to victory for Labour would be to supplant Plaid support. in those regions it should be The challenge for Plaid is to withdraw from basing its possible to maintain a regional political approach on supporting Welsh Labour versus presence with Labour losing the Unionist Labour. Our strategy must be to polarise the political electoral bias it has enjoyed in those debate in Wales between ourselves and the Conservative party, parts of Wales under current particularly as the Tories are likely to form the next UK electoral arrangements. At the very Government. This would then create a dynamic of a right least, Plaid needs to win three wing London Government against an increasingly Plaid Assembly Members from each of dominated Government of Wales. the South Wales West, South Wales This reality is underlined by Labour’s choice as their leader Central and South Wales West of Carwyn Jones who has to hold together an increasingly regions in 2011. divided and directionless party. His position would have been Jonathan Edwards – “To make progress in 2011 Plaid has to stronger if he had followed Edwina Hart’s line in pressing for a advance in Valley seats.” For Labour the new political more autonomous Welsh Labour Party in the leadership environment poses significant election last Autumn. However, his need to keep Welsh Labour challenges. As ever the major battles in Welsh politics will be MPs on board during his campaign prevented him from taking fought within their party. Traditionally the Labour leadership this position. My colleagues in Government inform me that has tried to placate both its Welsh and Unionist wings. The they can do business with the new First Minister. However, his 2006 Government of Wales Act is an obvious example. On the dithering on the Referendum Trigger forced him into a one hand it turned the National Assembly into a legislative humiliating climb down that shows where the real balance of body, while at the same time ensured that the sovereignty of the power lies within the Welsh Government. people of Wales was undermined by allowing a Westminster Labour will obviously also try and polarise the political veto over democratically mandated legislative proposals. Similarly, debate between them and the Tories, which is Peter Hain’s on Part 4 of the Act, their position was that they supported strategy. However, after 13 years of following a Thatcherite their own policy but only after 2011. In this respect securing political approach their narrative will lack any meaningful the Trigger Vote has been a significant political achievement credibility. Consequently, the alternative to a Tory London for Plaid that only a few commentators have acknowledged. Government after the General Election will not be a New For Labour to survive it must decide whether it is a Welsh Labour London Government, but the development of Welsh progressive party or a Unionist party. At the moment it is a political sovereignty and democracy. coalition of inherently incoherent political traditions. Failure to For Plaid the social justice and constitutional advancement make a defining choice will mean that Labour will increasingly agendas have always been interdependent and interlinked. This become marginalised within an increasingly polarised Plaid message is likely to have significant appeal to Labour voters versus Tory political environment. Labour strategists are who are Welsh identifiers. This will be reinforced if we have a banking on a period in opposition at UK level to renew the right wing Tory Government in London ruthlessly cutting party at Welsh level in electoral terms. I don’t think that sort public expenditure and undermining the Welsh economy. of shallow approach is going to be enough. They have to For Plaid to make progress in 2011 we have to make renew politically and once and for all make a defining choice significant advances in Valley seats. The new Development about how Labour views Wales and what sort of nation it Unit under the control of the Campaigns Directorate is wants to build. already laying the foundations for an aggressive election Labour's political hegemony over Wales which has lasted for strategy in 2011. With the Labour party imploding after a nearly a century is at an end. To avoid oblivion Labour has to defeat in the Westminster election, we have a once in a make a defining choice between the Welsh and Unionist wing. generation opportunity to replace Labour as the dominant Failure to do so will make Plaid’s strategic aims easier to political force in Welsh politics following the May 2011 accomplish as Welsh politics becomes a fight between the forces Assembly elections. of progressive nationalism led by the national movement and If we can defeat Labour in the Amman and Gwendraeth the regressive conservatism of a Tory London Government. Valleys, as we have done in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr for the last decade, there is no reason why we can’t penetrate right through the Welsh coalfield. Neath, Rhondda, Cynon, Jonathan Edwards is Plaid Cymru’s Parliamentary candidate Islwyn and Caerffili are winnable and with the Tories also in Carmarthen East and Dinewr.

34 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Labour Can Face the Future with Confidence

than it does the in which they pursue the fundamental issues of the economy Tuppenny Tarzan and public services. This is why, as the General Election posturing of those who approaches and electors face a choice between a Labour or believe that politics is Conservative government in Westminster, the gap between the best conducted as a parties has narrowed. The future rests between a Labour combination of breast- Party which has demonstrated the crucial role of public beating and jungle spending in dealing with the global economic down-turn, and calling. Fortunately the a Conservative Party which believes, in its DNA, that public Assembly, with its high spending is only there to be slashed and public services only proportion of women there to be burned. Plaid Cymru’s suggestion that the election Mark Drakeford – “Labour should embrace politicians, has a a policy of permissive proportional of a viscerally rightwing government in London could predisposition to the representation in local government.” somehow be to Wales’ advantage is unlikely to be forgotten. former way of doing Here in Wales, Labour at the Assembly elections will business, even as other concentrate not on grandstanding, but on demonstrating its elected forums seem to attract those who prefer the latter. distinctive approach to dealing with the different However, even though the current coalition has been a circumstances of the second decade of devolution. This is an success, Labour will not want to forget the similar experience approach which retains a commitment to universal services; of forming a government with the Liberal Democrats. The which celebrates the value of public services, publicly failure of nerve by that Party in May and June 2007 remains provided; which knows that front-line, as well as back-room one of the great mysteries of contemporary Welsh politics. services, will have to be reformed, but recognises that this can Nonetheless, if the Lib Dems are in a different frame of mind, only be done effectively by harnessing the experience and post 2011, the possibility of a progressive alignment in that commitment of front-line staff in the reform process. direction should not be discarded out of hand. My point is In a period when money will be very tight, the experience not, at all, that one form of coalition has more to commend it which Labour has of leading the Assembly will be more than the other. It is simply that, from a Labour perspective, important than ever in re-shaping public services which retain flexibility will be an essential bedrock of a willingness to the trust, and feel the influence, of Welsh citizens. Above all, respond constructively to whatever the outcome of the next Labour will offer an approach which resonates with the long- Assembly might be. established preferences of Welsh voters – the understanding that when we act collectively we achieve more than we when “Here in Wales, Labour at the Assembly elections act alone, that pursuing the public interest is more important will concentrate not on grandstanding, but on than the pursuit of self-interest and, more than anything else, demonstrating its distinctive approach to dealing that greater equality brings a set of social and economic with the different circumstances of the second advantages which markets alone can never match. decade of devolution.” There are many reasons why Labour in Wales will face next year’s elections with confidence. New First Minister, That is why, I believe, Labour needs to return to a Carwyn Jones, demonstrated a sureness of touch and a steely proposition first made by out-going First Minister, Rhodri political nerve in steering the Assembly vote on commencing Morgan, that it should positively embrace a policy of permissive the referendum process to a highly successful conclusion. proportional representation in local government. Certainly, such Labour retains its hard-won reputation as the party of a proposition had much more to commend it, both politically devolution – the party which has consistently delivered those and practically, than the immense distraction of a further round practical democratic advances which devolved government of local government reorganisation – a chimera which exercises represents. With the record of what active government can do a continuing hold over some in the Party. It is why, also, in combating the recession in Wales, and a programme which Labour will want to thrown its weight behind the green energy concentrates on making a difference in the everyday lives of all revolution which has such potential, if single-mindedly pursued, its citizens, Labour can look forward confidently to the future. to move Wales from the margin to the centre of the European economy, creating jobs in manufacturing as well as energy Professor Mark Drakeford was Rhodri Morgan’s special production, and contributing well above our weight in power adviser in the Welsh Government 2000-2010 and will be generated through wind, wave and water. Labour’s candidate in Cardiff West in the May 2011 In the end, of course, governments are judged by the ways Assembly election.

spring 2 01 0 | 35 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture The power of purchase Kevin Morgan argues that a chronic procurement skills deficit is a hidden crisis in the Welsh public sector

We keep asking the wrong questions public procurement has improved in In public procurement circles it is of the public sector in Wales even recent years, but for the vast majority of generally accepted that one needs to though it has loomed large in our lives public sector organizations it remains a have one manager with a Chartered for the best part of half a century. All backroom function rather than a Institute of Purchasing and Supply too often the political debate in Wales boardroom responsibility, too often qualification for every £15m of public – and in the UK too for that matter – associated with the purchasing of procurement expenditure. In Wales has been obsessed with the question prosaic items like office supplies, rather there are only about 130 public sector as to whether the public sector is too than a strategic driver of innovation, managers with a Purchasing and big. This debate usually revolves jobs and social justice. Supply qualification in the entire around the public sector’s share of To deploy the power of purchase in public sector, which means that we GDP, an index that invariably a more creative fashion, the first thing have a professional skills deficit of generates more heat than light. we have to do is to jettison the wholly more than 55 per cent according to inappropriate mechanical metaphor of current best practice. It is well known that a big public sector the state, which implies that power is a Far from being a minor technical depresses productivity, destroys lever that simply has to be pulled to be matter, this chronic skills deficit raises incentives and undermines the private exercised. In reality, of course, one has profound questions about the sector – well known but wrong. The to have a certain amount of competence competence of the public sector in Nordic experience gives the lie to these and confidence to deploy power in a Wales. What’s more, when its neo-liberal myths, proving that the key creative manner. Yet these strategic skill professional capacity is less than half of question to ask of the public sector sets – the skills of statecraft – are what it should be, how can the public concerns competence not scale, woefully inadequate in the Welsh public procurement fraternity possibly deploy a performance not prejudice. procurement community. budget of nearly £5 billion a year in a Central governments have three The true scale of this public creative fashion? great powers at their disposal to effect procurement skills deficit needs to be At a time when the public sector in change – the power to tax, to regulate addressed as a matter of urgency at the the UK is being told to expect two and to purchase. Of these powers, the power of purchase has been the most In Wales there are only about 130 public sector widely neglected by governments of all ideological persuasions. With notable managers with a Purchasing and Supply exceptions – like military technology in qualification in the entire public sector, which the US or energy and mass transit in means we have a professional skills deficit of more France for example – the history of public procurement is a tale of than 55% according to current best practice. untapped potential. This highlights the Procurement highest levels of the Welsh Government parliaments of pain, because of Paradox – the social and economic – including the Cabinet and First unprecedented fiscal austerity in coming significance of procurement is high, Minister’s Office - because it has simply years, managers will need to be more while its political status is low. failed to register in the debate about creative than ever to ensure that the Admittedly, the political visibility of public sector reform in Wales. public sector strives to promote the

36 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org management of procurement is essential to ensure that good practice becomes the norm not the exception. We have many examples of good procurement practice in Wales. Examples include Carmarthenshire and Caerphilly County Councils in school food and Bron Afon and RCT Homes in social housing. However, these are the exceptions to the rule. What more can be done? The One in a Million campaign, designed by public procurement consultant Richard Macfarlane who has advised the Welsh Government, is a good example of what can be done. The campaign aims to get more tangible social and economic benefits from procurement by persuading all public bodies in Wales to use their contractual leverage to ensure that We need greater professionalism in procurement in our schools, suppliers provide employment and as elsewhere in the public sector. training for new entrants to the labour market. As a bare minimum the multiple goals of innovation, job creation Such generosity will be conspicuous by campaign expects 52 weeks and social justice. This coming challenge its absence in the coming decade, employment with training for each £1 will be especially acute in Wales for two exposing weaknesses that should have million spent. With nearly £5 billion reasons - we are more dependent on the been addressed in times of plenty. spent a year, Wales could generate a public sector than the English regions These weaknesses can have tragic minimum of 4,300 new entrant and the new Economic Renewal Strategy consequences - like the E.coli crisis that opportunities every year, targeted at is predicated on us getting more value gripped the school food service in 2005 people most in need, amounting to from our own indigenous resources. and claimed the life of five-year-old perhaps 40,000 careers in a decade. Aside from the skills deficit, the Mason Jones. We should never forget The One in a Million campaign is power of purchase is also stymied by that John Tudor & Son, the Bridgend- closely associated with the public sector the fact that good practice is a bad based firm that supplied the cooked pioneers that designed the CAN DO traveller. That is to say, good meat that caused the crisis, was Toolkit, one of the best examples of procurement practice does not awarded the school food contract public procurement being used to target disseminate from one public body to despite serious misgivings about its job opportunities in the poorest another as quickly as it should, a hygiene practices and despite a communities in Wales. This campaign is problem compounded by the catalogue of complaints from school a microcosm of what can be achieved fragmentation of public procurement caterers about the quality and safety of when public procurement gets the policy. One would have thought that its products. Why was it awarded the recognition that it deserves and the the Welsh Government would have contract? For one simple reason - it was political leadership that it needs. Far from done more to address the variability of the cheapest. The E.coli crisis was a being a backroom function, the power of performance, especially in local tragic illustration of the high price of purchase can be a strategic driver of government and the health service, low cost. innovation, jobs and social justice. which between them account for more If the argument here is correct, the than three-quarters of public two key weaknesses of public sector procurement expenditure in Wales. procurement in Wales are competence The main reason why fundamental and governance. More professional skill Kevin Morgan is Professor of public sector reform was not pursued in sets are needed to get more public Governance and Development in the the past is because generous financial dividends from public expenditure. And School of City and Regional Planning settlements concealed the problems. a more integrated approach to the at Cardiff University.

spring 2 01 0 | 37 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture Provincial stagnation or European powerhouse

The Senedd building in Cardiff Bay – the arena for existential choices facing Wales.

John Winterson Richards suggests Indeed, one of the paradoxes that could MPs, who are, of course, far more likely Wales faces a far more radical arise is that the force that propels Wales to be Conservative. He could also grant choice than we might imagine to greatest autonomy might be the the Scottish and Welsh legislatures full London-based, indeed the London- fiscal responsibility in return for an end obsessed Conservative Party, formerly to payments from the UK Treasury. the Conservative and Unionist Party. Its This would go down well with many of We are entering a period of current leadership has little interest in his own supporters in England who are uncertainty in British politics. For their party’s Unionist traditions. They complaining about above average public the first time since 1992, there is would have no qualms about a deal with expenditure in Scotland and Wales. serious doubt about the outcome of a the Scottish Nationalists, if they held the Of course, a Conservative General Election. There is a strong balance of power in a hung Parliament, administration is far from assured, and possibility of a hung Parliament, giving them whatever they wanted in even if the Conservatives win the perhaps a string of hung Parliaments. Scotland in return for a Conservative General Election, they seem unlikely to government in Westminster. A similar retain power throughout what may be a The Blair administration destroyed many deal would probably be offered to Wales very turbulent decade. However, the of the certainties of the old British and national pride would induce the SNP and Plaid Cymru are obliged to constitution without putting anything Welsh to accept. press actively for ever greater definite in its place. The current Even without the Machiavellian deals devolution, while Labour and the unhappy compromise Welsh Assembly is that come with a hung Parliament, there Liberal Democrats are committed to but one aspect of Mr Blair’s meddling in are good reasons why more devolution support it. So it is safe to assume that the constitution without a coherent vision could actually benefit an English the pressure from Westminster will be in or plan of what he wanted to achieve. Conservative Prime Minister who lacks favour of more devolution and certainly This combination of electoral uncertainty a strong Unionist commitment. He not against it. and constitutional uncertainty may turn could trade greater powers to the It is equally safe to assume that any the next decade into a free-for-all in Scottish and Welsh legislatures in return referendum in Wales will approve British politics. Welsh devolution cannot for a diminished role for Scottish and proposals to increase the powers of the be viewed in isolation but must be Welsh MPs at Westminster, or Assembly. This is a reflection not of the considered in the context of an diminished representation, or both. This merits of any particular proposal but of extremely fluid situation at Westminster. would increase the influence of English the huge imbalance of political firepower

38 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org in Wales. In any referendum, the UK private business relies to a great extent reserves of manpower to fight major government will support its own on government contracts, not least with wars. With an increasingly globalised proposals, as it did in 1997. In addition, the National Assembly itself. Those who economy small nations can have the new power that has arisen as a result need such contracts are unlikely to argue significant competitive advantages. Look of the 1997 referendum, the National publicly against more power being given particularly at those small nations with a Assembly itself, will obviously be active to the people who give them out. In any GDP per capita higher than our own. in support of any measures that will give case, no one wants to be seen on the Some of them are very small indeed. it more power: the Assembly has spent a losing side. Look at the factors they have in great deal of taxpayers’ money on So increased devolution of political common. The most obvious is a low tax developing a large public relations and power to the Welsh Assembly is all but regime. It may take great political publicity organisation, by far the most inevitable. That decision was effectively courage to introduce such a regime but powerful in Wales. In any case, the taken back in 1997. It is simply a fact it is difficult to think of an example media – particularly the local television we have to face, and what we urgently where doing so has not turned a vicious stations and the Western Mail – were need to do is consider seriously how and circle into a virtuous one. While higher almost universally and actively pro- whether Wales can cope with the devolution in 1997, and will probably be practical consequences. just as eager to support any proposal in Given Wales’ relatively low GDP per “Any future ‘No’ the foreseeable future. capita, the probability of a decrease in campaign would Of the four main political parties in the amounts coming from the UK have no paid Wales, three are actively pro-devolution, Treasury, in order to reduce the current while the fourth seems reconciled to it. deficit, is bound to have a severe effect activists, little hope There are now literally hundreds of full- on the Welsh economy irrespective of of favourable media time political activists in Wales on the devolution. As soon as the Assembly is coverage, and public payroll, including MPs, Assembly granted tax raising powers, which will Members, leading Councillors, and their surely happen, it will come under hardly any money.” personal staffs of researchers, political pressure to use them, both internally advisers, etc – and nearly all of these from within Wales and externally from taxes drive out businesses and higher hundreds of paid professional politicians the UK government. It would be naive earners, thus reducing the tax base and will be active on the side of devolution to plan on the expectation of an forcing taxes higher, lower taxes attract in any referendum. indefinite continuation of the current businesses and higher earners, so Against that, it is difficult to see how situation, in which the Scottish and increasing the tax base. a serious campaign against further Welsh legislatures are allowed to make Most interesting of all, there appears devolution could be organised. There is their own decisions while the UK to be no correlation between a low tax no focus for opposition. Any future ‘No’ taxpayer covers the bills. Sooner or later, regime and low standards of public campaign would have no paid activists, as the powers of the Scottish and Welsh services. Indeed, purely on the basis of little hope of favourable media coverage, legislatures are increased, they will be subjective observation, ‘tax havens’ are and hardly any money. Although many asked by English taxpayers and their more likely to have well-maintained and in the business sector remain at best political representatives why they are not well-lit roads, modern leisure facilities, a sceptical about the benefits of using their tax raising powers to cover visible police presence, and clean public devolution, and positively frightened by their own expenditure. buildings than Wales. They also usually its more extreme forms, the lack of a That is bound to happen one day, have fewer signs of absolute poverty. It is well developed business leadership class though no one seems to want to discuss impossible to comment on services that in Wales means they are not very it now. When it does we will need a have not been experienced directly, but influential, and few have the large strategy to develop an enterprise culture there is certainly no evidence to suggest amounts of surplus cash necessary to in Wales that increases our capacity to the general standard in such places is finance a serious political campaign. generate our own wealth. If that sounds lower than in Wales. This is due in large Sir Julian Hodge, the principal easier said than done, here is a radical part to a wide tax base being able to funder of the previous campaign, is now suggestion that might work. finance public services generously even deceased, and it is significant that he Look at other small nations. Some of with a low tax rate. However, the was not resident in Wales. Most them are very prosperous. The old idea presence of a large number of private entrepreneurs who actually operate in that a nation had to be big to survive is sector high achievers might also have a Wales are reluctant to put their heads now out-dated, if it were ever true. We positive effect on the management of above the parapet. Given the high levels no longer need huge workforces to public services. of public sector spending in Wales, even operate economies of scale or enormous Of course, there are exceptions. No

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one in their right mind would want regulation regime generally, and Parliament which is fully autonomous Wales to become the British equivalent replacing the current over-complicated within the United Kingdom or perhaps of Dubai or Hong Kong, but there are UK tax and benefits systems with a a self-governing Dependency of the useful role models in Europe. Wales single simplified and unified tax-benefits Crown, like the Isle of Man. might not have the sun like Monaco or system of our own. This would require Full independence is a meaningless Jersey, or the snow like Andorra or not only tax-raising powers but the concept in the modern world. For one Liechtenstein, but Welsh decision- power to pass primary legislation to thing, the UK government can still in makers could do a lot worse than study reconstruct the whole tax and benefits practice exert great influence over its the Isle of Man. Although we need not systems from the bottom up. This smaller autonomous neighbours. For follow the Manx example in every goes beyond mere devolution. example, in 2007 it practically forced respect, it does illustrate how even a Now here is the great irony. Sark to accept a constitution for which very small, geographically isolated These words are being typed by an there was no real local demand or need. country can combine relative prosperity unreconstructed Unionist, who was In the same way, even a quasi- with social cohesion, a vibrant polity, never convinced that the Assembly independent Wales would have to accept and well-maintained public facilities. would bring any advantage, who has that England will always want a say in Wales has some enormous advantages seen nothing in it since then to make what happens next door. Yet an over the Isle of Man. The fact that we him change his mind, and who is well autonomous Wales would at least have are part of the mainland of Great Britain aware of the danger that giving it the option of passing laws that could give it immense competitive advantages, even over England. “In the same way, even a quasi-independent Wales The big question is whether Wales would have to accept that England will always want has leadership with the imagination a say in what happens next door. Yet an autonomous and the political courage to pass such Wales would at least have the option of passing laws laws. The great danger is that increased powers may be abused. One that could give it immense competitive advantages, can only fall back on the classic liberal even over England.” doctrine that giving people responsibility tends to make them more responsible. This does not always work and that Cardiff is only two hours from increased powers will allow it to pass in practice, but it is certainly true that London by train gives us the potential to bad laws. Yet, much as some may wish people are unlikely to act responsibly become the best located low tax regime otherwise, there is no turning back the if they are not given responsibility. in Western Europe. clock or denying that increased powers Wales has choices. One choice is If Wales had a low tax regime in are coming. provincial stagnation. Another is to place now, it is almost certain that a So the irony is that, if change is develop as an enterprise culture and large number of the entrepreneurs and indeed unavoidable, it would be better to one of the powerhouses of Europe. bankers who are leaving the UK, or embrace it completely, to advance to planning to emigrate, because of the meet it on our own terms, even to new 50 per cent higher rate tax would accelerate it if necessary, than to sit rather relocate in Wales. waiting for it or to try to delay it. A Yet it is not enough simply to lower gradual increase in the powers of the John Winterson Richards is a tax rates in order to attract wealthy Assembly, including tax raising powers, management consultant specialising in outsiders. The great lesson of the Irish can do little good and much harm. small business. He stood as a experience is that the wealth generated However, if the Assembly were given the Conservative and Unionist in the 1992 by tax breaks will not endure if it is power to design its own tax system, it General Election, and served as the last merely spent. Instead, Wales must take could use that power to transform Wales. Leader of the Opposition on Cardiff City advantage of the window of opportunity So rather than mess about with Council before Local Government and develop home grown enterprise at ‘independent commission’ reports on Reorganisation in 1996. He retired from the same time. This could be done by increasing powers, the Assembly should party politics in 1999 and now has no extending the low tax and low immediately petition to become a political allegiance.

40 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Wales needs a delivery plan Geraint Talfan Davies discovers a gulf between business and government at the IWA’s inaugural National Economy Conference

If the IWA’s first National Economy that there was a state of “paralysis”, and Conference held in late February that “dealing with the Assembly is like achieved anything, it was to punching a sponge”. underline the gulf in thinking that The conference had drawn a wide exists between the worlds of business range of top-flight speakers, including and the Welsh Government. On this the new First Minister, Carwyn Jones, to showing the good relations between give Welsh, UK and world perspectives government and business, said to on the economic challenges that face us. have been forged during the recent Gerald Holtham, one of the UK’s top Welsh economic summits, may well investment managers and chair of the be only skin deep, and the Commission that is examining the government’s current review of Barnett formula and other Assembly economic development has a lot to funding options, warned us that do to persuade business that although growth over the next year policymakers are up to the challenge could turn out to be better than that Wales faces. forecast, we were in for 8-9 years of tight fiscal policy, with those at the It wasn’t just the torrent of depressing bottom of the skills ladder sure to be Gerald Holtham – Wales is in for statistics - Wales now the lowest UK the hardest hit. 8-9 years of tight fiscal policy. region in terms of Gross Value Added The only silver lining that Holtham per head, tenth out of twelve for research could see was the fall in the value of that Wales was more dependent on and development expenditure, the lowest the pound which would help Welsh R&D in the higher education sector than any other UK region. But he also pointed out that the whole of the UK is “Within Wales, Cardiff is the only city whose unbalanced in this regard: only the competitiveness is above the UK average. It ranks 12 th , southeast England ‘super-region’ scores against Newport at 30 th and Swansea at 38 th .” above the UK average for competitiveness, a factor that, he thought might account for the fact that for private equity and venture capital manufacturing. But since a later the UK has dropped from 7th to 12th investment, as well as for overall speaker, Professor Robert Huggins of in world competitiveness rankings in competitiveness – it was more the UWIC, reminded us that Wales is also recent years. He concluded that the unanimous conviction that the at the bottom of the export league table, concentration model is not working for government has yet to deliver a coherent with only 2.16 per cent of Welsh the UK. strategy and, more importantly, a delivery companies exporting, this might not Within Wales, Cardiff is the only plan that business finds convincing. Nigel make a huge difference to the overall city whose competitiveness is above the Roberts, chair of Cardiff-based situation in Wales. UK average. It ranks 12th, against Paramount, told the conference that Concentrating on competitiveness, Newport at 30th and Swansea at 38th. business was disillusioned with the Huggins reminded us that the low R&D Merthyr and Blaenau Gwent are at the Assembly, that initiatives took forever, expenditure by business in Wales meant very bottom of the pile – 405th and

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Clockwise from left : Lord Mervyn Davies – Wales should concentrate on the industries of the future; Chris Rowlands – not averse to a new Welsh banking institution; and Professor Robert Huggins – Wales is at the bottom of the export league table.

407th out of all UK local authority reporting of spend by detailed endemic problem was raised from the areas. In the Welsh context Huggins programme, no external evaluation of floor of the conference by Ian Courtney, believed that it would make more sense the effectiveness of individual part of a three man task and finish to concentrate resources in regions that programmes. The Welsh Government’s group, charged by the Welsh are strong – notably the Cardiff-based ‘Flexible Support for Business’ scheme, Government itself with investigating the city-region – a call echoed by several which telescoped several other commercialisation of intellectual people through the day, but one which programmes, was a particular target of property in Wales. He revealed that, runs counter to current political criticism throughout the day, because of despite being a government-sponsored orthodoxy in the Assembly itself. the way it rolls up so many different group, they had had so much difficulty But the root cause of business programme spends under one heading. getting information from government frustration may have been identified by Upton was able to point to figures departments that they had to threaten Dr. Stevie Upton, the IWA’s Research which, on the face of it, suggest that the government with the Freedom of Officer. This, she thought, was the while the Yorkshire RDA is spending 19 Information Act. information deficit: the fact that, percent of its budget on enterprise, Apart from the lack of external following the absorption of the WDA Wales is spending only 9 per cent - a evaluation, Upton detected evidence of into the civil service, it is almost comparison that the Assembly’s risk aversion in the absence of any impossible now to tell where the money Enterprise and Learning Committee demanding performance indicators, allied spent on economic development in might like to explore. to a too frequent shift to new initiatives, Wales actually goes. This is all the more What the conference audience found with little innovative thinking and important in the light of Upton’s other most worrying was that this now stands policies too dependent on a changing finding that Wales is spending more per in stark contrast to the situation in politics with each Assembly term. head on economic development than Scotland and England. Upton was able Professor David Blackaby, from any other UK region - £107 per head, to point to an illuminating report, Swansea University, made a plea for £10 per head more than the north east commissioned by the UK Government improving skills of Welsh workers and of England, and £30 more than from PricewaterhouseCoopers, that managers – a call that struck a chord Scotland. She has been seeking out this examined the effectiveness of each of with a large number. He reminded us information over recent months at the the English RDAs in considerable detail. that the problem of inadequate skills request of the IWA’s recently formed There has been no comparable external was apparent at several levels. He Economy and Finance Study Group. evaluation of the economic development pointed out that among the 30 top There is no little irony in the fact spending and programmes of the Welsh OECD countries, the UK had the that the abolition of the greatest of the Government. Everyone, including the lowest proportion of managers with Welsh quangos, allegedly in the interest Assembly’s own scrutiny committees, degrees. He questioned whether of accountability, has resulted in reduced are in the dark. education was currently fit for purpose, accountability: no annual reports, no The suggestion that this might be an which led to some debate about

42 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org whether university education should be lessons of the recent crisis, delivered an vocationally focused or not. More impassioned plea for Wales and the UK Join the IWA and encouragingly, David Stevens, Chief to concentrate on the industries of the support our work. Operating Officer for Admiral Insurance future: IT, mobile technology, medicine “The IWA occupies a unique place in Welsh plc, Wales only FTSE 100 company, and life sciences, education (where the public life. Its analysis of current issues is said they had built the business largely UK has 20 per cent of the world market always professional and extremely helpful. ” on home grown talent. for students) and the creative industries. Lord Richard of Ammanford When it came to the question of Infrastructure was another priority, Chairman of the Richard Commission what to do, Chris Rowlands, the Welsh and Government faced a huge challenge “The IWA is a quite extraordinarily valuable businessman who last year produced a to find the £450 billion that would be body, and I am very proud to be a member report on finance for business for No needed for infrastructure investment of it. ” 10, was clear that there was a financing over the next 15 years: investment in Lord (Kenneth) Morgan gap to be filled – for investments of energy security, universal broadband, One of Wales’s leading historians between £2m and £10m – that would high speed rail, roads and water. “In a time of transition for Wales, politically, not be covered by normal debt finance He also thought it essential to the Institute of Welsh Affairs provides a or by private equity and venture capital develop long-term strategies that went vital forum for all sides to come together companies. He accused private equity of beyond the five-year political cycle. This over both strategically important and contentious issues. ” being lazy, having concentrated for so argument also applied to Wales, and he Baroness Ilora Finlay of Llandaff many years on the easy pickings of urged the Welsh Government to copy Professor of Palliative Medicine, leveraged buy-outs. Gordon Brown, by bringing business Cardiff University There would have to be a major people like himself into government. The work of the IWA depends on the support intervention to fill this financing gap. It Carwyn Jones, the First Minister, wasn’t and contribution of individual members would need scale – a fund of funds - present at this point to respond. across Wales and beyond who share our and a strong risk management function, Later, however, Carwyn Jones picked determination to mobilise the nation’s human but would have to be a regionally upon on the criticisms of poor delivery and social resources in order to face the distributed fund. He did not think there and stressed that the last thing he challenges ahead. By bringing together partners in business, academia, and the public and would be any problem of lack of wanted was for government to become voluntary sectors, the IWA is helping to shape demand from business in Wales, but it ‘a strategy factory’. Asked whether he economic, social, educational, environmental would need people on the ground to stood by the ‘clear red water’ message of and cultural policy across Wales. search out and create opportunities. his predecessor, he said it was important However it would have to be done on a that the government believed in reducing I wish to become a member and enclose a cheque for £40. commercial basis, not by government. inequality, but that did not mean Wales It was clear that he would not be was shut for business. I wish to become a member and pay by credit/debit card averse to a new Welsh banking As for the recent case of health the sum of £ institution and pointed to plans for a service reform where no redundancies Scottish Investment Bank. Could we appear to have ensued, he acknowledged Account Number _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ see a Bank of Wales re-emerge, as that “this cannot go on for ever” and many of us have been urging? that “voluntary redundancies would Expiry date _ _ /_ _ There were those who thought that have to come”. Faced with criticism of I wish to pay by Direct Debit government should not be in the the FS4B scheme, he took the line that (This will help us keep our costs down) business ‘picking winners’ and should while this was new to him, if that was Please send me a Direct Debit application form. stick to ‘educating people, keeping them the perception he would take it on Please send me details about becoming healthy and moving them around’. Not board. His barrister’s training means that an IWA Fellow. unnaturally, this was not the view of he has little fear of a critical audience, but there were signs that he was in speakers who were in government: the Name: Title: First Minister, Carwyn Jones, the UK listening mode, and that this honest Address: Trade Minister and former Chairman of exchange of views with business at the Standard Chartered Bank, Lord start of his tenure may have been timely. (Mervyn) Davies. Post Code: Lord Davies, who is also Chair of Tel: Fax: the Council of Bangor University, threw E-mail: away his prepared text and, once he had Geraint Talfan Davies is Chair of excoriated the banks for not learning the the IWA. Return to: Freepost INSTITUTE OF WELSH AFFAIRS Institute of Welsh Affairs, 4 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9LJ summer 2009 | 31 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture

Wage rates and profitability explain lagging economy Eurfyl ap Gwilym questions whether Wales is being held back by an over-large public sector

Whenever the performance of the not that much larger. It should also be dominated by an overlarge public sector. Welsh economy is debated two noted that over the last decade growth in Excluded from the expenditure data factors usually surface very quickly, public sector employment in Wales has in Table 2 is what is termed non- the relatively large size of the public been lower than in most of the regions of identifiable expenditure such as defence, sector and the low Gross Value the UK, although relative GVA has overseas aid, interest payments on the Added (GVA) per head compared continued to decline. national debt and the costs of the UK with the other countries and regions Another measure that can be used to Parliament. Non-identifiable expenditure of both the UK and the EU. gauge the scale of the public sector is to is deemed as being of benefit to all the Undoubtedly these are two important look at the relative levels of public people of the UK irrespective of where elements when assessing how well expenditure in each country of the UK. it is actually spent. Analysis of ONS and Wales is doing economically. But Table 2 shows identifiable public Treasury data indicates that Wales what substance lies behind these expenditure which is public expenditure enjoys a relatively low proportion of headlines and is the private sector incurred in a territory for the benefit of such spending. In the case of defence being squeezed out? people living in that territory. Examples spending, estimates show that with 4.9 are health, education, welfare spending per cent of the UK population Wales Table 1 shows official estimates of and housing. receives less than 2 per cent of public sector employment as a According to the Treasury, in 2008- expenditure incurred in the UK. proportion of total employment. 09 Welsh identifiable expenditure per Notwithstanding the fact that non- In the fourth quarter of 2008, 23.9 capita was 111 per cent of the UK identifiable public expenditure is per cent of those in employment in average compared with 118 per cent for comparatively low compared with Wales worked in the public sector London. Identifiable public expenditure in England, and in particular the south east compared with 19.8 per cent in the UK Wales was relatively high compared with of England, many economists allocate as a whole, and 17.8 per cent in London. the UK average but not so much higher either a population-based or GDP-based Thus from the viewpoint of employment as to appear to justify the view that the share of non-identifiable public the public sector is larger in Wales but Welsh economy suffers because it is expenditure when estimating total public

Table 1: Table 2: Public sector employment as a proportion Relative identifiable public expenditure per capita of total employment (%) compared with the UK average (UK 100%).

England Scotland Wales UK England Scotland Wales 1999 18.3 23.1 23.9 19.2 1996-97 96 118 114 2008* 18.9 23.0 23.9 19.8 1999-00 96 118 114 *Fourth quarter 2008. 2008-09 97 116 111

Source: Regional Analysis of Public Sector Employment, Source: HM Treasury. Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Office of National Statistics. 2002 and 2009.

44 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Table 3: Wales GVA by component (£per capita) and as a proportion of the UK average (%) 1995 2000 2007 Compensation of employees 5,424 81.9% 7,006 77.76% 9,181 75.4% Operating surplus/mixed income 3,665 87.5% 4,006 75.6% 5,696 73.2% Total 9,089 84.1% 11,012 77.0% 14,877 74.5%

Source: ONS Regional Accounts. expenditure in Wales. The reasoning proportion of the total population of If the employment rate were the same in behind this is that the people of Wales Wales is low compared with the UK as Wales as in the UK relative GVA would benefit from such expenditure although a whole. According to the ONS, in the be 80.3 per cent compared with an actual it is incurred elsewhere. In this approach final quarter of 2009 there were 1.31 level of 74.5 per cent. Thus the structure the indirect economic benefits arising million in employment in Wales of the working population in Wales, and from such expenditure are ignored. compared with 28.91 million in in particular the age distribution and low Total public expenditure per head in employment in the UK. Corresponding activity rates, are material contributors to Wales (identifiable plus non-identifiable) proportions of the population in work in lower GVA. However, they do not is between 109 per cent and 103 Wales and the UK were 43.4 per cent provide the whole answer to the shortfall percent of the UK average depending and 46.7 per cent, respectively. This in GVA per capita. The balance of the on whether population or GVA is used difference is due to a number of factors: shortfall lies in the principal factors to allocate non-identifiable expenditure. determining GVA, namely wage rates, If one used pay cost as an indicator of • There is a higher level of age gross operating surplus and what is where non-identifiable public dependency in Wales: There are termed ‘mixed income’. expenditure occurred the relative total proportionately more young (under Gross value added is the commonly public expenditure per capita in Wales 16) and older people (over 65) accepted measure of the value added or falls to approximately 102 per cent the people compared with those of wealth created through economic UK average. working age in Wales compared with activity. It was the measure used by the In summary, public sector the UK. In 2007, 39.9 per cent of EU in deciding to allocate Objective 1 employment in Wales is 4.1 per cent the population of Wales was not of and Convergence Funds to West Wales higher than the UK average and relative working age compared with 38.0 and the Valleys. GVA is made up of a total identifiable public expenditure is percent for the UK. number of elements and these are between 2 per cent and 9 per cent higher summarised in Table 3. depending on the method of allocation. • Low economic activity rates: Given this analysis why is Wales Economic activity rate is the By themselves these two key indicators viewed by many as being ‘dominated’ proportion of people of working age explains a good deal of the relative under- by too large a public sector? The answer who are either employed or seeking performance of the Welsh economy as a is that when total identifiable public employment. In the final quarter of whole, compared with the UK: expenditure is measured as a proportion 2009 the employment activity rate in of GVA generated in Wales such Wales was 75.7 per cent compared • Compensation of employees (62 spending is materially higher than the with 78.7 per cent for the UK. Factors percent of total GVA): This has tracked UK average. Thus the key issue is not depressing activity rates include high at about 80 per cent of the UK average higher public expenditure but the much numbers on long-term invalidity over most of the last 20 years but has lower level of GVA in Wales. benefit and a perceived lack of job declined quite sharply in the last few Why is relative GVA in Wales so opportunities in the area. years. If compensation of employees in low and why has it declined over the Wales in 2007 had been the same as in last 20 years? To make meaningful • Higher unemployment rates: the UK then relative GVA per capita comparisons between regions and In the final quarter of 2009 the would rise by 12.4 per cent. countries GVA per head needs to be unemployment rate in Wales was 8.6 used. Furthermore this measure needs per cent compared with 7.9 per cent • Gross operating surplus (31 per cent itself to be deconstructed into for the UK as a whole. of total GVA) and Mixed Income (7 population and GVA. per cent of total GVA): These have The working population as a shown a sharp reduction relative to the

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rest of the UK from 91.0 per cent in Mixed Income is the surplus of non- Welsh economy it needs to address the 1989 to 73.2 per cent in 2007. Gross incorporated enterprises owned by causes of the weaknesses identified in operating surplus includes an households, this is the self employed. If this analysis. It is also clear that to apportionment of profits of the private operating surplus and mixed income achieve success will take decades rather sector plus an imputed rent income for were the same in Wales as in the UK than years. owner occupied households then relative GVA per capita in Wales (approximately 6 per cent of total would rise by 7.3 per cent. GVA). This decline in operating The analysis described here shows Eurfyl ap Gwilym serves on the boards surplus needs detailed analysis. Is it that the factors that lead to the variance of a number of companies, is an IWA due to a move from capital intensive in GVA per capita in Wales compared trustee and an economic adviser to industry to more labour intensive ones with the rest of the UK are: Plaid Cymru. or are there other structural changes? • GVA of UK 100.0 per cent The ONS publishes a time series of GVA by industrial sector for Wales and • Lower proportion of population in work in Wales (5.8 per cent) other countries and regions of the UK. • Lower compensation of employees (12.4 per cent) Analysis could demonstrate whether or • Lower Operating Surplus and Mixed Income (7.3 per cent) not the change in industrial structure of Wales compared with the rest of the UK • GVA of Wales 74.5 per cent. has been a material contributor to the relative decline. Of course, some of these factors are A strong area of growth in the UK interlinked. For example, low employee over recent years has been financial compensation contributes to low activity services. Table 4 shows that whilst rates, and depressed operating surpluses London, starting from a high base in may lead to low compensation. Low 1999, has enjoyed massive growth in employee compensation will tend to 26|3|201 0 this sector Wales remains weak. encourage migration of more able people of working age to countries Table 4: Proportion of GVA offering more lucrative employment. Generated by Financial Services (%) Critically, low operating surpluses will mean that there is lack of capital for 2007 1999 reinvestment in businesses with a London 18.1 11.4 knock-on effect on employment. England 8.9 6.3 A time series of this sectoral analysis Scotland 7.7 5.2 could cast further light on which factors Wales 4.4 3.4 have been driving down relative GVA per capita over the period under review. In the case of Wales manufacturing has What is clear is that the central challenge traditionally been an important source of of the Welsh economy may not be employment and wealth. Table 5 shows directly related to the size of the public how this sector has shrunk as a sector, but to three other factors, namely: • News analysis contributor to total GVA. (i) The structure of our population. • Essays and Table 5: Proportion of GVA (ii) Relatively low compensation of debate Generated by Manufacturing (%) employees. (iii) Low and declining operating • Wales Factfile 2007 1999 surpluses in the private sector. London 5.9 10.1 • Lecture Library England 12.4 18.3 If the Welsh government is to formulate Scotland 13.7 19.4 and execute an economic development • IWA archive Wales 17.9 24.9 strategy to address the weaknesses of the

46 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Opaque funding streams Stevie Upton calls for greater transparency and more evaluation of the Welsh Government’s economic policies

In 2005, the Welsh Government's Claimed benefits of the merger of the WDA, WTB and ELWa into culling of three major quangos – the the Welsh Government Welsh Development Agency (WDA), the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) and Accountability Education and Learning Wales (ELWa) Abolishing the quango boards will establish a clear line of accountability to Ministers; – prompted an article in Agenda external advice will be incorporated into this new structure. entitled The New Centralism . In it, my Improved customer and stakeholder service then colleague, Professor Kevin Linking policy development and delivery within Government will provide a coherent Morgan of Cardiff University, and I one-stop shop system. called into question the claimed benefits of the mergers . Demonstrable results and application of best practice Robust performance and benchmarking data will allow progress to be monitored and performance compared nationally and internationally. Five years on, in conducting research into Wales' economic development Streamlined delivery performance commissioned by the Streamlining will be achieved through shortening of the decision-making process Institute's Economy and Finance Group, and transfer of resources from administration to delivery. I revisited the article. It makes Opportunities for staff uncomfortable reading. Staff will have access to a wider job range and will progress based on their delivery The two principal rationales put as much as their policy-making skills. forward for the mergers were increased Organising to deliver accountability, and greater efficiency and Integration of departments will improve delivery and create savings that over the long responsiveness to user needs. We term can be invested in front line services. questioned both of these justifications and, at least in relation to the WDA's Source: Welsh Government, 'Making the Connections: Delivering Better Services for Wales', replacement – the Department for the Consultation Document, January 2005 Economy and Transport – it is now clear that the grounds on which our critique was based were correct. society's capacity for effective scrutiny been a reduction in the level of detail In relation to accountability, we has, indeed, been limited. Whilst the made public. The departmental budget argued that a command and control WDA was required to publish annual is no longer published to the more approach to politics, characterised by business plans, the Welsh Government detailed level of the Budget Expenditure "more stringent control over access to is less forthcoming with information. Line, but rather only to the Spending information, which in turn limits In the first year of the Department Programme Area level. In other words, society's capacity for effective scrutiny of of Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, only the headline spend is now reported. political actions", was emerging, and (as the Department for the Economy Moreover, 40 per cent of the consequently asked "whether Wales will and Transport was originally called), a economic development budget for 2010- become a less pluralist, more state- highly detailed business plan was 11 will be categorised as 'Flexible centric country". produced that not only listed planned Support for Business'. Designed to Having recently attempted to trace spend down to the level of individual streamline delivery of business support, economic development spending over initiatives, but also went into some detail the creation of this large, opaquely- the course of the Assembly's first on strategy. named funding stream introduces a lack decade, I can only conclude that More recently, however, there has of transparency that renders futile any

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attempt to evaluate the relationship 2004-05. However, these data tell only a evaluation of potential strengths and between spend and performance. partial story. weaknesses that identifies not only This is in marked contrast to the Extensive research undertaken by where funding will be spent but also situation in the English development Robert Huggins, Professor of where it will not. agencies (RDAs). In England, RDAs Management and Policy at UWIC and At present, eighteen months on from are required to produce business plans co-founder of the Centre for the publication of the revised Spatial and to demonstrate progress in annual International Competitiveness, Plan, which should be one of the most reports. In 2009 these data were further consistently places Wales at or near the significant elements of an economic supplemented by a report commissioned bottom of a whole raft of national strategy, there remains no sign of the from PricewaterhouseCoopers that set rankings, on measures including promised Delivery Framework for out in considerable detail the impact of competitiveness, GVA, R&D National Priorities. It is hard to see how their spending. expenditure and proportion of exporting priorities can be coordinated, let alone Our second concern in 2005 related companies. On these measures and monies spent, without such medium-to to the claim that efficiency and others, Wales is failing to make the long-term planning at the national level. responsiveness would be enhanced by progress that should be expected given Finally, fundamental both to the the merger. It was our expectation that the significant investment in economic design and delivery of this economic the new Department for the Economy development that has taken place. vision and to accountability, is an and Transport would lack the capacity to There are three things that the effective evaluation system. In 2005 out-perform its predecessor, the WDA. Welsh Government can do to help we called for the replacement of Two sets of data now combine to reverse these fortunes in the short to undemanding and unimaginative suggest that here, too, our unease was medium term. Firstly, there is an urgent performance indicators with quality- well founded. Whilst tracking of need for data on both spending and based criteria, such as "the level of economic development spending over performance to be made readily research, design or development the Assembly's first decade is virtually available to those outside government. spending attached to a project, or the impossible at a detailed level, it is It is by no means certain that rigorous number of apprentices, technicians or technologists generated by the Regional Development Agency Per capita spend 2009-10 (£) investment in question". Welsh Department for Economy and Transport 107 Judging by the Enterprise and One North East 97 Learning Committee's recommendation Scottish / Highlands and Islands Enterprise 76 earlier this year that "Welsh Government business support should focus more in Yorkshire Forward 61 future on quality not quantity", this has North West Development Agency 58 yet to happen. Nevertheless, such a Advantage West Midlands 55 change remains crucial for the London Development Agency 50 development and future sustainability East Midlands Development Agency 36 of the Welsh economy. South West Regional Development Agency 30 One final set of statistics lays bare East of England Development Agency 24 the true cost of failing to get this right. South East England Development Agency 20 One in twelve of the economically active population is currently unemployed in Sources: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Scottish Enterprise; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Wales and a further one in four of those Department for the Economy and Transport of working age is economically inactive. possible to make an approximate evaluation is being conducted internally, It is therefore to be hoped that the comparison between per capita spend making the need for external scrutiny all Welsh Government's new Economic in Wales and that in the English and the more imperative. Renewal Programme, the future focus of Scottish RDAs. Once we have ascertained where the which is currently under consultation, As the table shows, Wales tops the money has been spent and how effective will address these three issues and league of economic development individual funding streams have been, improve our economic fortunes. spending (even when funding for the second step will be to generate a transport is removed from the equation). strategic plan for the Welsh economy. Importantly, this high level of spending This is not just about picking 'winners'. Stevie Upton is Research Officer is apparent at least as far back as It is about a realistic and critical with the IWA.

48 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org of products and services and changes in markets are as important, if not more Improving what so. It is not suggested that research and development, new ideas and patentable ideas should be abandoned. What is we already do required is a change in approach to understand and develop not just a John Ball says we need to understand the true meaning of innovation culture of innovation, within its proper meaning, but a clear policy. In the winter 2009 edition of Agenda a equate to innovation is dangerously This is the lesson for the Welsh two page spread announced the arrival misleading. There must be an awareness economy. In reality, despite the of yet another expensive project aimed that innovation is not about continued hubris associated with the at “enhancing the innovative capacity” technological change or totally new idea of a successful science policy, high of businesses in Wales ( Royal products. Innovation comes from the technology and R&D, it is questionable scholarships will help economy punch Latin inovatis , meaning novelty, whether the Welsh economy is equipped above its weight ). This latest £11.4 renovation or modification. The Oxford to develop entirely new products that million initiative once again presses English Dictionary defines innovation as are in any way meaningful or the right buttons - science, technology “making changes to something groundbreaking. The number of patent (cutting edge of course), digital established”. Meanwhile, Michael Porter applications granted in Wales illustrates revolution, R&D capability and the emphasises the point by defining the point. There were 147 successful compulsory mention of Silicon Valley innovation as “a new way of doing applications in 2005, this had fallen to and MIT. The worrying thing is that things, product and process changes, 88 in 2006 and fallen even further to these ideas are wrapped up as new approaches to marketing and just 62 in 2007. ‘innovation’, yet again illustrating the distribution” and that in reality, It should be remembered that clear lack of understanding as to what innovation is actually “mundane and patents are granted for processes and innovation really is and its importance incremental rather than radical”. product improvements as well as entirely to the future of the Welsh economy . In a reflection on the role of new ideas. Indeed, development and education, Porter goes on to point out improvements of existing products and When please are we going to stop that “innovation and innovative processes are, in reality, the source of putting science, high technology, R&D capability is defined as the skills and most new patents. Interestingly, the late and all the other buzz words together knowledge a firm needs to effectively American scientist Professor Robert with innovation as if in some way they absorb, master and improve existing as Rines had over 100 patents to his name, are inseparable concepts? They are well as new technologies, processes and almost all of which were improvements simply not the same thing and until we business models”. Indeed, research has to existing products. recognise this, real and productive Essentially, innovation has two stages: innovation will simply not occur. the new idea and its application. The What is far more relevant to “Essentially, two are not the same. The first stage is economic development is to create innovation has the ‘upstream’ development and creation national competitive advantage based by engineers and scientists of new on nurturing innovation – but in the two stages: the inventions and technological products, proper sense and understanding both new idea and often with no obvious commercial use of what innovation really means and its and which are in reality, relatively rare. importance to the economy. Indeed, its application.” This is the R&D stage, often supported such an approach is a priority for the and encouraged by government (of European Regional Development shown that innovative capability is the which there is very little in Wales) or Fund which includes enhanced most important determinant of firm agencies but without any real regional competitiveness and its performance and consequently that of understanding of any future potential pre-requisite, innovation. the wider economy. use. The truly interesting thing about Innovation is the mainspring of The great economist Schumpeter this initial stage is that these new ideas economic growth and is central to showed that innovation is the driving travel quickly and easily, often across competitiveness. The idea that pure, force of economic progress. While new national borders. The American motor blue skies research and development, ideas are fundamental to economic industry has grown over a century and patents and entirely new, original ideas growth, differentiation and segmentation a half by adapting a simple piece of

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German engineering, the carburettor. a different, innovative approach to by firms. This requires new and The second stage is the meeting customers needs, such as dynamic firms and an environment ‘downstream’ stage when these original different delivery systems. Macdonald’s within which innovation, growth and ideas are developed for the market. This did not invent the burger, just a way competitiveness can flourish. It follows is the real meaning of innovation and is to speed up its service. that developing incentives to encourage more complex and potentially far more the formation of new businesses, the challenging than the original, first stage - Recent research in the Republic of development of existing businesses and it is the commercial development that is Ireland underlines the role of innovation. encouragement of innovation requires a the most valuable for economic growth. Of the businesses that took part in the clear over-arching policy. The worth of the innovation at this research, four fifths undertook product There is of course nothing wrong or stage is to the user, not the original innovation and three quarters, process inappropriate in basing an economic creator. The real added value is at this, innovation. Product innovation was development policy on science, new the consumption stage and what is driven by interaction with, in descending knowledge and R&D (even by accident), required here are business skills: order of input, customers, suppliers, and but what is required is perhaps a dose of management, sales and marketing, other external sources. In addition, the reality. Interestingly, recently published design, financial and organisational. research highlighted the importance of research in America has shown no The issue to be addressed is how a process innovation, driven initially by financial advantage to firms that culture of innovation can be created. It limited product development (none was undertook expensive, long term R&D. requires appropriate education, business described as ‘blue sky’) and then, in At present, Wales lacks many of the skills and experience. Openness to new order of importance, interaction with individual factors required for an experiences is known to encourage suppliers and customers. Importantly, economy built on scientific research, creativity, the precursor to innovation. the drive for change came through the R&D and is unlikely to do so in the There are four approaches: businesses themselves and, most foreseeable future. Let’s be realistic. No importantly, from the market. Welsh firm is going to come up with the • The first is to look at ways of This has important implications for next ipod or electronic gizmo. What is developing different, often simpler or the Welsh economy. Businesses are needed is recognition of the success of more interesting products. Life cycles sensitive to the demands of their closest other nations and the role of local are becoming shorter and so customers, thus home demand is businesses that compete locally, innovate incremental and continuous fundamental in driving the basis of locally and develop globally. The key to innovation is required, driven through innovation. Intense competition spurs economic success is innovation. Until a culture of sustaining innovation. innovation. Particular emphasis is we understand this frighteningly simple therefore placed on home demand as and obvious lesson, the economy will • The second is to develop operational the driving force to upgrade, innovate continue in its downward trajectory. innovation, looking at and developing and compete. Specialisation in products, The upshot for the Welsh economy different ways of making a product or based upon innovation, differentiation is this. The chances of any of the delivering a service. Henry Ford did and segmentation is the driving force. organisations currently enjoying large not invent the car, rather he changed For individual firms to flourish, the chunks of European structural funding the world through the way it was made. economy requires a strong sophisticated or the protection of the techniums and demanding home market with an coming up with new, scientific • A third approach is to develop international outlook. breakthroughs that will change the world strategic innovation, looking at the Pressure is brought to bear by local are probably nil. The innovative skills way the market is moving, the consumers on local firms to ensure they required are those honed in the world of underlying changes in population are innovative and responsive to business and management, the ability to or technologies that provide an changes, leading to strong competition understand and drive innovative change. opportunity but that do not among firms. The number of We need to think outside the box and necessarily require huge changes. independent firms is vital in creating an see real commercial opportunities. So, Edison did not invent electricity, he environment stimulated by innovation. do we need more business schools and found a way to harness its power. Consumers try these innovative products fewer techniums? and services, while the number of • The fourth is through demand independent businesses is vital in John Ball is a lecturer in economics at innovation, looking at ways in which creating an economic environment the School of Business and Economics, existing demand can be met through driven by innovation and segmentation Swansea University.

50 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Reclaiming heritage is at the heart of the remaking of Merthyr. Merthyr’s progress Rhys David measures the gap between vision and reality in the contemporary development of the first town of the industrial revolution

Is Merthyr Tydfil getting there? For adopted shortly after his arrival, has been and services not previously available but those who only know the Welsh achieved, starting with a transformation which would be taken for granted in borough from its usual ranking at in the services provided by ‘Team most communities across Britain. the foot of a range of prosperity and Merthyr’, the 4,000 people who work for A new retail park has brought in health league tables, the question the borough. The Local Government big name outlets such as Debenhams, might hardly seem worth asking. Data Unit’s 2008 annual assessment Next and JJB Sports and also family Yet, in the view of Alistair Neill, the found Merthyr to be the highest restaurants. Such has been its popularity, determinedly optimistic Scots chief performing council in Wales. This was a a 65,000sq.ft Tesco superstore on land executive of the council, the figures marked turnaround from earlier Audit alongside the station has already had to that usually make the newspapers Office reviews that had identified it as a add an upper deck to its surface car park. reflect a different past from which potentially failing council where It is seen as a key support for smaller the area is now escaping. intervention might be needed. niche and locally-owned shops nearer the The changes have been brought centre of town. The pedestrianised town According to Neill, a former senior about first of all by making sure centre has been paved in granite, and it is executive with a number of multinational councillors enjoyed a greater role in hoped one of its previously disused companies who is now in his seventh policy formulation – rather than buildings, the old Town Hall, will re- year at Merthyr, perceptions of the town implementation – and by ensuring staff emerge as a theatre and arts centre – a are changing – whether they be those of were more aware of what was going on facility the town currently lacks. its own residents, those returning after a in departments other than their own and A new business park has also long absence, or potential investors. could contribute ideas more widely. provided the accommodation modern Census Office statistics suggest that after Improvements have been sought through enterprises require and the Welsh declining for most of the past 100 years a bottom up rather than top down Government has moved its social justice to a point where Wales’s once biggest approach. “We wanted staff to know that department to a site just outside the town is now home to fewer than 60,000 their actions did make a difference and centre. Though many of those working people, the population has grown in each we were keen improvement teams were there will be commuting from Cardiff, of the past two years, and is expected to not just run by senior management. it is hoped some will decide to settle continue to do so, albeit modestly. Someone on reception who sees 200 permanently and as staff move on they The body blows that have hit the people coming in to the council each day will, it is expected, be replaced by locally town over recent years have not is going to have a powerful set of views recruited replacements. stopped. The most recent was the on how we react to visitors,” Neill says. So, much of the ‘hardware’ - the cessation of manufacturing at the iconic Working with the Welsh Government town centre, new leisure, retail and Hoover plant, Merthyr’s biggest and a range of other partners, the business parks, riverside and heritage employer in the post-war period. It still council has been able to embark on a trails – have been put in place or has daunting socio-economic problems large scale programme of regeneration repaired. Stock transfer of the council’s with some of the highest rates of across the town. In part, Neill explains, housing to a housing association promises sickness and lowest skills not just in the aim has been to provide for the to release substantial funds for bringing Wales but in Britain as a whole. people of Merthyr, and its catchment properties up to modern standards. Nevertheless, Neill argues, much of area of up to 300,000 people across the More difficult will be the ‘software’ what was set out in Vision 2010, the plan Heads of the Valleys, a range of facilities – the educational attainment of school

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leavers, the skill levels of the working Learning Quarter will double the on benefits. At the same time infrastructure population, the poor health of not just number of curriculum options available will improve. The town centre will be the elderly retired but of many of those and greatly increase the numbers renewed with good communications along of working age. The investment that interested in carrying on with their the upgraded Heads of the Valleys road has taken place will be of little long education beyond 16 years. and the A470, plus a doubling in the term value if those problems cannot be Another ambition, is a university frequency of train services to Cardiff. sorted out. presence in the town. The idea is not Merthyr will be in a much better position An unstated part of the overall simply to add to the already long list of to market its dramatic geographical strategy has been to make people feel Welsh universities. A university situation and its potential as the southern better about living and enjoying life, institution in Merthyr would begin by gateway to the Brecon Beacons. All of leisure and work in Merthyr and hence offering foundation courses designed to which should make the town more about themselves too. The next stage is encourage individuals who might not attractive for investors. to try to turn this into more positive otherwise have the confidence or the The gap between vision and reality attitudes towards learning – the sine qua necessary qualifications to take the first could, of course, remain wide, particularly if the resources needed to complete developments in the pipeline – like the tertiary system – are not made available as a result of forthcoming public sector expenditure cuts. With the era of significant large scale overseas Merthyr’s new retail park alongside the A470. investment projects now over, it will be a challenge to create the jobs needed to non pathway to stimulating and well- steps towards a degree. “This is about keep an increased population in work, paid jobs. Though many of Merthyr’s saying ‘Look, we will bring a foundation even if skill levels can be dramatically schools have been getting positive ratings course to you, we will work with you so improved. And, of course, there always from inspections and have had new that you don’t have to go away to study. remains the prospect that the brightest buildings, this has not been reflected in You can prove to yourself you can do and best will continue to flow out to the the proportion of pupils going on to this and go on to another university to Welsh coastal plain and beyond. achieve good GCSE and A Level results, finish it’” says Neill. There is an institutional danger, too, which still lag those for the rest of Wales. New approaches being developed that the constant urge to re-organise Because of Merthyr’s small size its jointly with the health authority and local public sector organisations in Wales – schools have not been able to offer a authority social services will attempt to this time to reduce the number of local wide enough choice of curriculum persuade older people not to see authorities from the present 22 - could options at sixth form level. There is also themselves as “poorly” or less than fully yet see the borough distracted by a problem of disengagement among fit, a significant attitudinal problem in the further upheaval just as its plans begin young people not interested in academic area. The aim will be to try to keep people to show promise. options, many of them, in Neill’s words, away from hospital, or, later, a care home. For the moment, however, there is having great brains and fantastic talents For other age groups a health park is enough going on in the town and but weak literacy and numeric skills. planned opposite the retail park which sufficient plans for a brighter future for The proposed solution – currently will bring together GP surgeries, and a the gloomy statistics not to appear to out for consultation and not without its range of other primary care services, with be all that the town is about. As Neill opponents -is a move to a new-build a strong emphasis on the importance of says: “Merthyr’s place in the past is post-16 tertiary education system, the diet and leisure activity as a means of secure as a driving force of the Merthyr Learning Quarter. This would maintaining health and preventing illness. industrial revolution. Its current cater on one site for academically and It is hoped that this prevention strategy regeneration aims to restore it to a vocationally orientated young people, will reduce the high numbers in the area significant status in the economy and entering through the same gates for on incapacity benefit and speed their life of south Wales once again.” different courses enjoying equal levels of return to the workforce. esteem. The centre will be developed The aim is for the Merthyr that Rhys David, a writer on economy and jointly with the University of Glamorgan, emerges from all this activity to have a business issues, is a trustee of the IWA which merged with Merthyr College in growing population with higher skills and and a former senior editor of the 2006. It is hoped the new Merthyr greater confidence and fewer individuals Financial Times..

52 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Angela Gorman pictured with mother and baby and Dr Grace Kodindo (right) at the National Reference Hospital in N'Djamena, Chad.

Saving 13,000 lives Angela Gorman describes accompanying panel, the fifth – reducing resources - funds raised from the public, the work of her Welsh charity the number of women dying in the purchasing power of NHS Wales, which prevents women dying pregnancy and childbirth - is the only and the Welsh Government facilitating during childbirth in the one which is going nowhere. The same my secondment from a clinical role at numbers of women are dying in 2010 as Cardiff’s heath hospital to the charity. developing world were dying in 2000. Yet, this is probably In June 2005 my life was changed in the easiest of all to achieve and that very the time it took me to get out of a chair. Every year more than 550,000 achievement will accelerate the rate of I was working as a Senior Sister at the women across the world die in success of many of the others. In less Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the pregnancy and childbirth. That figure than five years the Welsh-based charity Heath. One Sunday evening, having is equivalent to the number of people Hope for Grace Kodindo has saved an quite literally run a twelve-and-a-half who died in the 2004 Tsunami, added estimated 13,000 lives by distributing hour shift, I came home, watched the to those killed in the Haitian drugs directly to where they are most 10pm news on the BBC and got up earthquake. The statistic is not needed. We have done this with minimal from my chair to turn the TV off, when meant to diminish the tragedy of those events, yet these women die, United Nations eight Millennium Development Goals announced in 2000 unnoticed, year in and year out. Moreover, the figure does not include 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. their babies who often die with them, 2. Achieve universal primary education. or soon afterwards. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women. As each minute that you are reading this 4. Reduce child mortality, that is to reduce the number of children who die article ticks by, another woman will have before their fifth birthday by two thirds. died. If it takes you 15mins to read the article, no women in Europe, Australia 5. Improve maternal health, that is to reduce the number of women dying in or the USA will have died. At least 15 pregnancy and childbirth by 75 per cent. women in either southern Asia or sub- 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Saharan Africa will have died. Ninety- 7. Ensure environmental sustainability, including increasing access to safe nine per cent of the women who die drinking water. giving life are in the developing world. Of all the the United Nations 8. Develop a global partnership for development, including an open and fair Millennium Goals listed in the trading system.

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the newsreader said, “In Panorama and find that it was too late. conditions amount to almost half of the which is coming up, there is a report When the programme was finished, 550,000 deaths a year. Yet it s extremely from the central African country of I logged onto the BBC website and got cheap and easy to either treat or prevent Chad, where a single doctor is fighting in touch with other viewers who had them. So why has this not happened? to save the lives of pregnant women”. I contacted them. I approached my trade In May 2008, Dr Grace Kodindo, sat down again and watched in horror at union UNISON and came away with the central figure in the Panorama the scenes in front of me. Women were £5,000 to source the medications. We programme I saw, reported to the dying for the want of cheap and shipped them to Chad and in November European Union that the maternal available drugs for which their families 2005, four of the group visited the very mortality rate from eclampsia at her had to find the money, only to return hospital which we had seen only five hospital had reduced from 14 to 2.3 per months before. The difference was that cent and the numbers of newborns dying on this occasion we saw women being had dropped from 23 to 7.3 per cent of brought back from the brink of death total births. She added that this had not using our medications. During the visit, been achieved by large organisations, or we met with representatives from the governments, but by a small organisation United Nations Population Fund who in the UK, the Hope for Grace Kodindo asked that we keep them up to date charity. More women are now coming to with our progress. her hospital to give birth because they In May 2007, having received are seeing women going in and coming regular reports from me on the numbers out again, alive! of Chadian women saved, our charity When I visited Redemption hosital in received a request from the Fund to the coastal city of Monrovia in Liberia in provide the same medications to Liberia March 2009 the Chief Pharmacist danced and Sierra Leone. Thanks to my me around his office saying, “Angela the seconded role and following visits to numbers of women dying are going down The Life of Baby Brian both countries, funded by the Wales for and down and down because of your Africa Programme, the supply of two medications!” We both cried. Baby Brian was born in September key medications began to Liberia in The same medications are now being 2009 in Mbale Uganda. His 2008, and to Sierra Leone in 2009. The supplied to eight hospitals in Somaliland, mother died soon after he was latter is now recognised by the UN through the strong links with the Somali born. Brian’s carers in the Salem Population Fund as the most dangerous community in Cardiff. They are also Orphanage where he now lives place on earth to be pregnant. being supplied to Mbale in Uganda via told Angela Gorman that his One of the biggest killers of women Pont, the Wales for Africa Health Link mother had bled to death. His bare in the developing world is post-partum based in Pontypridd which is twinned metal cot is now one of seven in haemorrhage – excessive bleeding with Mbale. A shipment has been sent the nursery occupied by babies following delivery - which claims to Northern Nigeria following a request whose mothers have died. Three approximately 34 per cent of lives. It can from the Royal College of Obstetricians mothers died of post partum be prevented using a drug called and Liverpool School of Tropical haemorrhage, a condition which Misoprostol which costs 15p per tablet. Medicine. Dcotors there told me, can be prevented by administering A woman would need three. The other “Angela, there are wards full of three tablets which cost 15p each. significant cause of death is eclampsia eclamptic women in Northern Nigeria. (high bloodpressure during pregnancy) We go there to teach the staff how to Brian will probably remain in the which claims 14 per cent of the total use medicines that they haven’t got!” orphanage until 2025 when he deaths. It is treated with a drug called By the time you read this article they reaches the age of 16. The team at Magnesium Sulphate, which costs 55p will have received them. per dose. A woman would need 3 to 5 Requests for help are being received Salem do their very best to give doses. Both of these drugs are always from other sub-Saharan countries, the babies and children the time available on delivery units in the West. including Rwanda, Senegal, Gambia, and care they need, but the In the developing world they are either Tanzania. However, we have a fine children are desperate for the one nowhere to be seen, or even worse, are balancing act to perform with our to one attention that most babies available but at a cost. If women cannot resources. We have to ensure that we and children take for granted. pay for them, they die. have sufficient funds to provide the Total fatalities from these two medications for the countries to which

54 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org “…I believe that for generations, we in the West have robbed Africa of its natural resources and also its human resources..”

The Labour Ward at the National Reference Hospital in N'Djamena, Chad. Women are referred to it from across the city, but facilities are basic. There is no oxygen. New-born babies are washed under a cold tap, placed on cold tiles, with just a thin coloured sheet. A new blood bank has built but there is no blood supply. Patients have to find family members with the same blood group and bring their blood to the hospital in carrier bags.

we have committed. The need is huge the fifth Goal were achieved it is also such precious resources. The woman lying and we are pursuing funding from as likely that we would: in a bed in Sierra Leone or Afghanistan, many sources as possible. • Reduce poverty levels, the first Goal: receiving the medications we have sent, Why is so little progress being made women work at producing goods and won’t know or care why she has been on the fifth United Nations Millennium wealth as well as caring for their saved. All she will know is that she will be Goal? The answer is the tragically low families. The financial cost of losing safely returned to her family. status of women in the developing 550,000 women has been estimated to I am often asked why I am doing world. Their value is often assessed by be $15billion every year. this. Why, in the face of such a the number of children they produce. • Move closer to universal primary monumental task, do I think I can make These women are unaware of their right education, the second Goal: children a difference? I have two answers. The to health. When I travel to African (mostly girls) are often taken out of first is I believe that for generations, we countries and see schoolgirls I ask myself school to look after families when a in the West have robbed Africa of its how many of them will live past 25 years mother dies. natural resources and also its human of age. Or I see pregnant women and • Promote gender equality, the third resources. Having worked in the NHS ask myself whether they are going to Goal: in countries where maternal for 35 years I am all too aware of the survive their pregnancies. I would never mortality has been reduced women numbers of third-world doctors and have to think of, or ask myself these are empowered, taking responsibility nurses we depend on, leaving their home questions in the UK. for their own fertility and having countries struggling and failing to keep If the fifth Goal was achieved, the smaller families. their citizens alive. So this is a debt we numbers of children dying under 5 years owe, which now needs to be paid back. of age would reduce dramatically, thereby The cost of universalising the Hope for The second reason is what I call achieving the fourth Goal to reduce child Grace Kodindo charity’s activities - ‘The L’Oreal Effect’. What, you may ask mortality by two-thirds. Mothers are the providing free medications and increasing do I mean? Simply, “because they’re source of nutrition and nurture. They the numbers of appropriately trained staff worth it!” ensure the mosquito nets are in place and - would only be $5billion. If we don’t save the vaccinations are given. The chances these women on humanitarian grounds, Angela Gorman is founder of Hope for of a child dying under the age of 5 years we have to do it on financial grounds. Grace Kodindo – Making Birth Safer in increase tenfold when a mother dies. If The world can’t afford to continue losing sub-Saharan Africa

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Chwarae Teg trading Ann Hemingway and Elen Jones celebrate the second anniversary of Wales’ declaration as the first Fair Trade Nation

Wales became the world’s first Fair Trade Nation in 2008 having secured the endorsement of an independent panel of experts. At present, we are the only nation that has achieved this, although Scotland is not far behind. It is aiming to declare national fair trade status by the end of the year if they can meet the same criteria as Wales.

The foundation of Wales’s achievement was the 55 per cent of Welsh towns and 40 per cent of universities actively supporting fair trade, coupled with evidence that 43 per cent of the Welsh public were buying at least one Fairtrade product on a regular basis. Support has Pupils from over 30 schools gather for a Fairtrade event at the Colomendy grown over the past two years. By now education and adventure activity centre near Mold in north Wales. 82 per cent of our local authorities and 93 per cent of our universities have Cardiff the world’s first Fairtrade radical way we can help third word achieved Fairtrade status. Capital City. countries. It avoids the traditional In all 91 Fair trade town, counties To be a Fairtrade Town a approach of seeing communities slide and village groups in Wales are working community has to form a steering into poverty and then offering aid. at a local and regional level spreading group, register with the Fairtrade Fairtrade certification guarantees not the word and educating others on Foundation and produce a dossier only a fair price, but a premium for global interdependence and how making evidencing that Fairtrade goods are community development, education and the right consumer choice can bring being sold or used in a range of health projects, human rights including about positive change. Last year the different outlets and businesses. The empowering women, prohibition of Farmer’s Union of Wales and NFU Town Council or equivalent body has child slavery, and respect for the Cymru declared their support, joining to sign up to actively support Fairtrade environment by promoting sustainable an unprecedented partnership. and when functions are held involving farming practices. The beauty of Fair The movement began to grow in refreshments Fairtrade products should Trade is that it contributes to at least the late 1990s and took real shape in be used wherever possible. The five of the eight Millennium 2002 when Ammanford became the achievement of Fairtrade Town status Development Goals and sits strongly first Welsh town to achieve Fairtrade lasts for one year before being alongside the climate change agenda. It Town Status. Shortly afterwards reassessed and thereafter reassessment is explains why the movement has such Wrexham became the first county to every two years. strong backing from the Welsh achieve Fairtrade County status and Fair trade is perhaps the most Government and, in particular,

56 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Environment and Sustainability Minister achieving Fairtrade Status. This is 29 Fair Trade Nation status sustainable. Jane Davidson. per cent of the total number of UK Last year saw established brand names The Fairtrade Mark is an Fairtrade schools. With only seven per such as Cadbury’s, Tate & Lyle and independent certification label that cent of the schools in the UK, this is a Nestle launching products that have appears on products certified in clear indication of Wales’s leadership been sourced under the Fairtrade accordance with Fairtrade economic and environmental standards set by “Young people are the key to fair trade becoming Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International. Following consultation part of our normal shopping habit. A third of with producers the buyer of Fairtrade schools in Wales are registered on the Fairtrade products sets a minimum price which Schools Scheme, with 82 of them achieving guarantees that the producer can cover Fairtrade status.” the cost of sustainable production. When the market price is higher than the Fairtrade minimum price, the and commitment to ensuring that criteria. Perhaps this signals a new stage market price is payable. All products young people across the country learn of ethical purchasing that we have not marketed in the UK carrying the not only about where products come seen before. However, as the multi- Fairtrade logo attract a premium paid from but about global citizenship, trade nationals sign-up to the Fairtrade label to producers on top of the minimum justice and sustainability. As an there may be a risk of losing the valuable price. This is then invested in social educating tool it can motivate and support of volunteers and the groups environmental and economic inspire the next generation and it that made us a Fair Trade Nation. development projects agreed to by creates opportunities to discuss global There is a danger, too, that leaders will workers on a plantation. issues and responses. take a back seat assuming that fair trade Young people are the key to fair This is undoubtedly a success story. is now so well embedded that they can trade becoming part of our normal The challenge now is to maintain the turn their attention elsewhere. shopping habit. A third of schools in momentum. Fair Trade Wales is So we need to remind ourselves of Wales are registered on the Fairtrade currently working towards a second the practical reasons for continuing to Schools Scheme, with 82 of them phase of targets to make our claim to develop the market for fair trade products. Actions speak louder than words. With 4,500 products now available in the Fairtrade range, from wine to tropical fruit and clothing to soap, the Welsh Government, local authorities and the NHS should continue to lead by example in procurement policies and affirmative action. For example, can NHS Wales be brave enough to use Fairtrade cotton sheets and Fairtrade cotton uniforms? Over the next few years the Fairtrade movement is set to grow significantly with a UK wide sales target of £2 billion against £700m last year. Our aim in Wales should be to build on what we have achieved so far, and continue to demonstrate that our small nation can punch well above its weight in the quest for fairer trade.

Ann Hemingway is Chair and Elen Jones National Coordinator Fair Trade Wales took this Fair Trade banner that travelled around the world to the top of Snowdon in 2007 when Wales of Fair Trade Wales became a Fair Trade Nation. www.fairtradewales.com

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vaccine for bovine TB (bTB) and we can’t treat it in the same way. To cull In the early 1960s the UK was declared bTB free. However, in recent years cases have risen sharply – 12,000 cows were slaughtered in Wales in 2008 or not to cull compared with 669 in 1997. And the £1m spent on compensating Welsh David Hedges reports on the controversy farmers for the loss of cattle in 2000 rose over tackling TB in badgers in Pembrokeshire to £24 million in 2009. The Welsh Government has been forced to act by announcing it was to cull badgers during 2010 as part of a programme to control the disease. While many wild animals carry the disease the badger is seen as the prime cause of TB in cattle. Badgers have protected status and the reaction to the cull is not surprising. But the headlines the cull has attracted have annoyed the Government which has had to deny any policy of badger extermination and reinforce its message that culling is only part of a wider programme to tackle all sources of infection. The planned cull is part of a programme, influenced by experience of bTB control in New Zealand, which also includes tighter controls on cattle movement and improved bio-security on farms. All these measures are aimed at limiting the potential for cattle and badgers to infect themselves and one another. The programme is a result of If you find the science of climate year and in February Public Health the modelling of likely outcomes from change hard to understand don’t try Wales announced an outbreak in a range of approaches which have been and make sense of the science which Rhondda Cynon Taf. Vaccination was considered by Government officials, is being used to justify the latest introduced in the middle of the last scientists, vets, animal health, wildlife action by Government to control an century. Milk was pasteurised to prevent and ecology experts. It includes five epidemic of TB in cattle and wildlife. the spread of TB from cows to humans annual badger culls in north It’s a disease which at one time was and infected cattle were culled. Pembrokeshire which has one of the almost eradicated but which is now Whilst we still struggle to eliminate most serious bTB problems in Britain, costing millions of pounds. TB from the human population we do with 42 per cent of cattle owners who at least have effective antibiotic have had at least one case of bTB in We think of TB as a disease of the past treatments so it no longer kills. If only their herd since 2003. Badgers will be but it’s the leading cause of death from the same were the case with cows. The caught in cages and then shot. curable infection across the world and bacterium which causes disease in The cull is widely supported by killed 1.8 million people in 2007. And humans is different from the one which farmers, their unions and by the we still see many thousands of cases in infects cows and other domesticated and veterinary profession. However, there is the UK. In Wales there are 200 cases a wild animals. But we don’t yet have a growing opposition from wildlife groups

58 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org discredited research methods and results incentivises good practice. but arguments over the scientific It will be five years before we know evidence can only go so far. if it has worked in north Pembrokeshire. The bTB testing regime has been a What it will mean for other parts of difficult one for farmers. Many doubt Wales and the UK where bTB the accuracy of the tests with some continues to be a problem. What will believing cattle test positive for the the badger vaccination trials in England disease when they aren’t infected. Other show us? And for how long might any critics believe the test fails to discover all reduction in bTB continue? By then a of the infection in herds. The testing vaccine for cattle mayhave been created regime is also viewed as overly – it’s estimated to be at least 2015 bureaucratic and time consuming. But before one will be ready. Perhaps the many farmers tire of arguments about only way we’ll ever be able to see cattle whether it is their cattle or badgers that free of this disease is to breed disease cause infection in the other. They point resistant animals but that is likely to be to the extent of the problem and the many years away. threat it poses to their way of life as The importance of the dairy and justification for their pressure for action. beef businesses to the rural economy Farming families have seen their life’s weighs heavy on the minds of politicians. work in breeding high quality livestock Farmers and their representative bodies ravaged by the disease, with in some have worked hard to press Government cases whole families of prize-winning into action in the face of worsening animals slaughtered in a matter of days. infection. Although the direct risk of Some have watched unborn calves bTB to human health is not a concern, struggling inside their infected mothers the indirect risk to the health of families as they are shot on the farm. And now losing cattle and seeing their business go the cruelty of the badger cull may follow as a result, is something no Government the cull of cattle, with the risk that both can ignore. And many farmers are sick and healthy animals will be killed. convinced, through their own experience, There will be more protests and that infection in the badger population is more arguments about whether the a key agent responsible for the rise in action is well conceived. But if the cull bTB in their own herds. Whatever the Anti cull campaigners demonstrate outside the Senedd does go ahead, it will be hard after five truth, perception is powerful. And for Building in Cardiff Bay at the end of March. years of experience to know what effect those whose compassion for badgers and landowners who will refuse attempts it’s had on bTB as its going to be only is without compromise, there is little to access badger setts on their land and one of a series of measures being used. enthusiasm for measures they are who feel the cull is unnecessary, illegal On its own, therefore, its usefulness as a convinced will not be effective. and potentially risking making the specific tool for dealing with the disease Whatever the results of the problem worse. The Badger Trust and may be hard to establish. imminent legal challenges to badger Pembrokeshire Against the Cull are So uncertainty about the causes and culling, the Government’s critics will behind legal action which will, if it cure are likely to persist. If the continue to dispute the science and the succeeds, interrupt the Welsh programme is deemed to work, it will impact of culling as part of a wider Government’s plans. be rolled out in other hotspots. It seems programme of action. It is true that Each side points to scientific likely that the combination of measures Governments have a frustrating capacity evidence to support their case. The to control the potential for infection to introduce policy which is neither Government cites scientific evidence in within and between cattle and badger evidence-based nor designed to allow support of the cull, while opponents populations will be seen as the way effective evaluation. On this occasion the point to research that culling makes forward. To work it will have to include Welsh Government’s approach to things worse and ends up costing more. a badger cull that is effectively managed, controlling bTB is at least grounded in In England science is behind the UK a cattle movement regime which is scientific study and will be capable of Government’s programme of badger honoured by farmers and proactively some kind of evaluation . vaccination trials (rather than culls) as a policed, better practice in bio-security to way of controlling the disease in bTB keep badgers away from cattle on farms David Hedges is Director of the hotspots. There are many accusations of as well as a compensation regime which consultancy Cyngor Da.

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Science shops Wales

Steven Harris advocates a bottom up approach to supporting participation in the knowledge economy Science Shops staff with local people undertaking a community bio-diversity audit at Cwmmaman in the Cynon Valley.

Science Shops Wales is now in its in community buildings across south will be freely available for use by all. fourth year of operation as one of east Wales. Clients and collaborators • Priority is given to projects that the leading community-university include community and voluntary promote social, environmental and partnerships in the UK. Established groups of all types and sizes, from cognitive justice. at the University of Glamorgan in mother and toddler groups and 2006 with support from the Higher schoolteachers to regeneration trusts, Many Welsh organisations are Education Funding Council of Wales, environmental associations and attempting to replace or supplement it offers citizens’ groups free or low- Communities First partnerships. their dependency on grant funding with cost access to scientific and The principal activities of Science more sustainable forms of income from technological knowledge. Shops Wales are to match student community social enterprise. Some are researchers with external organisations also trying to build local resilience to Science Shops Wales has eight full-time to work on accredited research projects. threats such as climate change and staff based at the University of We look to the following criteria when peak oil. For example, Science Shops Glamorgan and a network of contract making these connections: Wales projects have engaged with a researchers. Between 2006–9 it engaged number of sustainable community food with around 6,500 individuals, and more • Projects much have clear research production initiatives across south-east than 250 Welsh organisations. Its questions that are practicable within Wales, including: community research database contains at available resources. Science Shops least 100 individual research questions. Wales offers support in developing • A ground-breaking feasibility study Access to the database is via the website projects which is often a useful on a proposed indoor, hydroponic www.scienceshopswales.org which learning exercise. vertical food production centre in contains project reports, handbooks, • Organisations must not have the full the Garw Valley. leaflets and other publications. financial means to access research • Permaculture design initiatives. At any one time between ten and expertise by other routes. Science • Renewable energy feasibility studies 15 short-term and three or four major Shops research services are intended on schools, pubs and community projects are underway, with partner to complement, rather than compete buildings within a whole valley. organisations making contact either with more conventional knowledge • Support for a consortium of directly through the ‘hub’ at Glamorgan transfer routes. organisations to plan, build and then or through one of twelve contact points • The results of Science Shops research run two recycled biodiesel distribution

60 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org A permaculture course underway at Edwardsville primary school in Merthyr Vale. Permaculture creates artificial eco-systems for growing food which is highly intensive in terms of both labour and yield.

points in the Cynon Valley and new, socially-relevant knowledge and indispensable to democratic participation. Rhondda Fach. of adapting and combining existing Science Shops Wales supports the knowledge to specific economic and emergence of ‘bottom up’ knowledge Science Shops Wales has also gained cultural contexts. and expertise, offering a contrast to more experience in supporting community Civil society organisations extend ‘top down’ approaches. biodiversity audits, working in their capacity to engage with problems, At the national level, Science Shops partnership with wildlife and while benefits also accrue to the can facilitate public engagement with conservation experts to upskill local universities that host Science Shops. science, technology and innovation, citizens’ groups. We have been working Student researchers use their allowing citizen’s voices to be heard in with the Welsh Local Government community-based research to fulfil an arena all too often dominated by state Association on a Changing Climate, coursework commitments - typically and corporate interests. Of course, Changing Places project with local through Honours or Masters’ projects - Science Shops can be difficult to finance. authority staff; with National Museum greatly enriching their student The multi-faceted and interdisciplinary Wales to produce a climate exhibition, experience and subsequent nature of their work means they do not now touring Wales. We have also employability. Academic staff generate easily fit into neat funding categories. delivered workshops to housing data, publications, and novel research The Higher Education Funding Council associations and voluntary organisations topics and directions, while gleaning a for Wales has led the way enabling a and distributed a wide range of literature rich harvest of case studies to support pilot service that already far outstrips on scientific, technical, social and their teaching. Science Shop activities provision in other parts of the UK. economic topics. fulfil a university’s core ‘missions’ of Is it too much to hope that in the future The international Science Shops research, teaching and strengthening Wales will emulate other advanced movement to which Science Shops links with local communities. democracies such as the Netherlands Wales belongs brings together The relatively late development of and Canada by establishing a permanent, organisations in more than 34 countries Science Shops in the UK reflects a lack national network of Science Shops in around the world, all working with of engagement with civil society. Since our Welsh universities? science in its broadest sense. Supported devolution Wales has forged ahead in this by the EU under successive framework respect, although there is still a long way programmes, the Science Shops process to go before we have a truly pluralist Steven Harris manages Science Shops provides an effective means of generating political culture. Access to knowledge is Wales at the University of Glamorgan.

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Merfyn Jones argues that investment in higher education shoud remain a national priority

The 'cutting edge' of the new Environment Centre Wales at Bangor University is the building itself. It is one of only three buildings worldwide to have received a commendation for its sustainable credentials from the Royal Institute Future of our of Chartered Surveyors. It brings scientists from the University and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre of Ecology and Hydrology together under one roof, creating universities opportunities for cross-fertilisation of ideas.

At the beginning of March the Education. The first Phase of my Higher Education and the funding of Minister for Children, Education and review, presented to the Minister in students in Phase One. Life Long Learning, Leighton September 2008, centred on student • The positioning of Higher Education Andrews, announced the setting up of financing arrangements. Phase Two, within national priorities in Phase Two. a Review of the Governance of Higher which reported to the Minister in April Education in Wales. This will be the 2009, considered the role, funding and Both issues held considerable political latest in a series of higher education mission of Higher Education in Wales. resonances given the debate on student reviews dating back to the Aberdare Both Phases, particularly the first, financing. In 2004 this came within a Report of 1881. Indeed, in 2000 one of were highly technical. Student financing whisker of undermining Tony Blair’s the first initiatives of the National arrangements are convoluted and a premiership. In Wales it led to different Assembly was to launch a review of number of intricate options were arrangements being adopted under Higher Education, chaired by Cynog considered. Phase Two considered a conditions of great political tension. Dafis. But rather than being yet variety of issues: widening access, The Jones Review group argued another review I believe this one may economic impact, employer that rather than subsidise fees for all signal a culmination, rather than a participation, internationalisation, Welsh-domiciled students at Welsh repeat of the earlier surveys since it is teaching and learning, the student institutions – a hugely expensive to be focussed on one issue – how are experience, research, links with further exercise - funding should be targeted at universities governed. education – as well as personal those in greatest need and at the time intellectual development. However, when they needed that support, that is I say that as the Chair of the so-called despite this inevitable complexity, the when they were students. No student ‘Jones Review’ of higher education two Phases focussed on a couple of would pay fees while studying but which was established by Jane Hutt in central and related themes: would start to repay when they started June 2008 when she was Minister of • The balance between the funding of earning at a certain level. The monies

62 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org eventually released by this change would be invested in further student bursaries and in much-needed investment in higher education. Fundamental to this case was the understanding that students needed to study in well-funded institutions with excellent facilities and equipped with adequate learning and research resources and technologies. Elsewhere in the world the debate had centred on the best ways of funding higher education as a key component in strategies to ensure A new generation high field Magnetic Resonance Imaging global competitiveness. In Wales, the scanner at Bangor University’s School of Psychology, used for both academic and clinical research. debate had tended to be centred on the funding of students rather than the Century Higher Education Strategy and Review announced by Leighton institutions which they attended. Plan for Wales . This explicitly adopted Andrews, and his subsequent Remit Phase Two of the Report explored many of the arguments developed in Letter to the Higher Educaton Funding the wider context of this debate. Why Phase Two. It rightly emphasised the Council for Wales, published as we go invest in higher education? What should importance of higher education to social to press, need to be seen in that the contribution of universities be to the justice and to economic development context. How does Higher Education creation of a knowledge economy, to the and enthusiastically adopted the rise to the challenge? For it is widely creation of a critical citizenry, to the proposed “repositioning within national acknowledged, and was readily accepted health and well-being of our priorities” of higher education. At much by the Jones Review, that a step change communities? We argued that a vibrant the same time Ieuan Wyn Jones, is required on many fronts, and in higher education sector was critical to the Minister for the Economy and many dimensions, if we are to succeed. future of Wales. To give one example, in Transport, signalled a shift in economic The Minister has asked some England most research and development policy which would place more emphasis uncomfortable questions as to our is undertaken by business with higher on generating innovation and skills, with capacity and appetite to change and education making a contribution; in a major role for our universities. respond. Nonetheless, Higher Education Wales most research and development It could be argued, therefore, that Wales which represents the Vice- is carried out in our universities with Government has kept its side of the Chancellors, as well as the Chairs of business making a contribution. bargain. The central importance of Higher Education Wales which represents At the recent IWA conference in higher education has been embraced Governing Bodies - have welcomed the Cardiff on Making Wales more and, albeit some years in the future, new Review of Governance. This is an Business Friendly , speaker after speaker additional funding has been found. immensely complicated and difficult area emphasised the importance of higher Critically, the swingeing cuts in the which involves Charters and Statutes and education in attracting talent, creating higher education budget announced no end of technical complications, not to export earnings, providing the in England have not been repeated in speak of some big and controversial advanced skills needed for the future, Wales although long-standing concerns questions concerning autonomy and and in conducting research and about funding levels remain. Everyone accountability. These developments signal development. Phase Two of the Jones recognises that the future of public a new stage in policy making, and it is to Report argued that for the sake of the sector investment is uncertain, to say be hoped delivery. Lord Aberdare might future of Wales we needed to the least. be justified in peering over our shoulders reposition higher education in our Phase Two of the Jones Report had 120 years on to see how effectively we national priorities. concluded that Higher Education “has respond this time round. Government responded positively to become central to the task of creating and quickly. The new student funding thriving and enquiring communities in a arrangements advocated in Phase One prosperous and culturally alive Wales, Professor Merfyn Jones is Vice were accepted. In response to our Phase and the higher education sector itself Chancellor of Bangor University, an IWA Two report the Welsh Government must rise to that challenge with trustee and Chair of the IWA’s North pubished For Our Future: The 21st imagination and dedication”. The Wales Branch.

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The case for Gareth Elwyn Jones declares that the profession would do away with the General Teaching Council self-regulation for Wales at its peril

Organisations often spend absurd control over its members, implying a Nevertheless, the General Teaching sums designing an immediately professional body similar to the General Council for Wales does have crucial identifiable logo. Often these capsules Medical Council. responsibilities which reflect teacher of information convey a subliminal The Medical Council has a history professionalism. All practicing teachers message. Consider that of the England going back to 1858. Creating even a pale in Wales have to be registered, giving and Wales Cricket Board – the reflection of a similar kind of body for the Council an important role in traditional crown and lions of England, teachers amid the control freakery which overseeing their qualifications, their underscored by the initials ECB. We has increased exponentially in the last professional conduct and status, as well can draw our own conclusions. But thirty years among British governments, as their professional development. In others closer to the teaching profession was not likely to be easy. Decades of this last capacity it has distributed can also tell an interesting, if not quite pressure resulted in action only very valued funds for individual teacher so demeaning, story. The logo of the recently. Too many vested interests did projects and research, now sadly General Teaching Council for England not wish to yield up control or influence curtailed by DCELLS. consists of the three large letters GTC. to another body. Teachers’ unions did We might imagine that teacher Scotland and Wales have to spell not exactly warm to the idea. But the professionals would welcome an theirs out. world has not been turned upside down. organisation which allowed their peers This is hardly surprising, given that the to protect these aspects of their Timing is similarly illuminating. The General Teaching Council for Wales, professionalism. However, registration Scots got their Teaching Council in mirroring its English counterpart in a costs money and nobody likes paying 1966. Wales had to wait for its Council different context, has to work with the bills, especially when recently those bills until the political will existed to create a Department for Children, Education, have become slightly in excess of those Council for England. That only Lifelong Learning and Skills, the Higher paid by teachers in England. A flurry happened in 2000, a year after Education Funding Council for Wales of bad publicity was generated. In the devolution. It was inconceivable in that and Estyn, the Welsh inspectorate, to vanguard were the teacher unions which context that a separate Council would name but a few. have never been contented bedfellows of not be set up for Wales, but we should A young teacher involved in Early be under no illusion as to why we in Professional Development under the Wales had to wait. auspices of the General Teaching Council for Wales. And a long time it’s been. The debate over the professional standing of teachers has been going on since the beginnings of state schooling in the 19th Century. Whatever we may think now, that status, particularly for elementary school teachers, was mixed, conditioned by snobbery and types of training. Only since World War II has the professionalism debate been more profound. Nevertheless, the teaching profession has quite rightly argued that there should be public recognition of its status, mirroring that of the medical and legal professions. One aspect of this was the ability to exercise a measure of

64 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org relationship between teachers and the public, with so many of the general population setting themselves up as experts in education. If the General Teaching Council for Wales did not exist its professional functions would be taken over by the Welsh Government, and specifically by DCELLS. Standards of conduct would be established and enforced by anonymous bureaucrats either there or in the local authorities. The teaching profession needs as much recognition as it can manufacture of its own involvement in regulating itself. It does away with the teaching councils Sir William Atkinson, head teacher of Phoenix High at its peril. School in London, delivers the 2009 General Teaching Council for Wales’ annual lecture in Cardiff on supporting The strangest new proposal, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. emanating from one Welsh teacher union, has been that the General any of the teaching councils. Complaints profession is at least partly bound up Teaching Council for Wales should be homed in on such matters as the chief with the existence of an independent disbanded and Welsh teachers join the executive's salary and the fact that regulatory body and its position needs to English Council. What benefits are disciplinary hearings take place in a be shored up rather than undermined if supposed to result are unclear. reasonably up market city hotel. As a that body is to have sufficient authority Pragmatically, it ignores a spate of retired university teacher with no to bring some pressure on all powerful virulent criticism of the Council in particular axe to grind I am in no central and local government. England. In fact, a Times Education position to take sides in such matters, For historical and social reasons, the Supplement columnist has suggested that although I suspect that if a disciplinary teaching councils in Wales and outside disciplinary matters should be in hands of hearing were to take place in a disused cannot hope to replicate the influence governors or local authorities, mirroring aircraft hangar it might lead to a different which the General Medical Council has precisely some Welsh moans. kind of complaint. in determining the content of courses and What it would achieve negatively What does concern me is not the their recognition. But for political and would be profound harm to the teaching minutiae but general principles, which social reasons, teachers would surely be profession in Wales. It would be a tend to be neglected in favour of well-advised not to spurn the limited statement of principle which wholly superficial polemic. It is important to recognition conferred by the teaching contradicted the notion of a separate think through the implications of some councils. Education is politicised in a way education policy in Wales. The logic of of the courses of action which have been entirely foreign to the world of medicine. this becomes even more weird in the light suggested. The first of these, that the Of course, government is obsessed by of the general approval among General Teaching Council for Wales be the National Health Service, and issues practitioners that education has been one disbanded, would at a stroke undermine of public health but no government of the striking successes of devolution, recognition of the professionalism of pretends to have the expertise to draw charting out a different course which is teachers. Of course, the existence of up the content of courses and set the often the envy of teachers from across such an organisation is not of itself a standards for their recognition. Offa's Dyke. We would land up with the guarantee of status. Nevertheless, it Nevertheless, education acts have teaching profession’s version of the goes a long way to affording public come pouring out of Whitehall in the last England and Wales Cricket Board - recognition that teachers themselves are few decades in unprecedented fashion. Wales in the subtitles but not in the logo. capable of drawing up and enforcing The result has been, with some Is this really what teachers in Wales want certain standards of professional modification recently and especially in for their profession and for Wales ? conduct, registering that individual Wales, the diminution of teacher teachers are properly qualified and responsibility, independence and trained to do a crucial, high-level job, professional judgment in doing a Gareth Elwyn Jones is Emeritus and can initiate their own professional demanding job unsupervised by the Professor of Education with the development. The credibility of the nanny state. Just as significant is the University of Wales.

spring 2 01 0 | 65 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture Planning for behaviour change Chris Mills explains how Environment Agency Wales is gearing up for climate change

Rhossili Bay on the Gower, viewed from Wormshead – the EU’s revised Bathing Waters Directive means that standards are being raised even further. Photo: National Trust Cymru.

In many ways the quality of the to the UK’s fly-fishing championships. Carbon annual reduction from 2011. environment in Wales has never Salmon are now spawning as far Even so the greenhouse gases emitted been better. Significant progress has upstream as Merthyr Tydfil for the today will still be affecting the climate been made in improving our air, first time in over a century and more in a hundred years time. There’s also a land and water as the basic building people are fishing. need to manage the consequences of blocks on which society and wildlife More properties are being protected the change in climate already caused, depend. They are cleaner today from flooding (we are spending four which will impact upon us for many than at any time since the the times more on flood defences today than generations to come. Industrial Revolution. ten years ago) and more people are One in six properties in Wales is warned about flooding. already at risk of flooding and this figure The most damaging pollutant emissions But it’s not all good news. is likely to increase as the impacts of have steadily decreased over the last 20 Commercial and industrial waste is climate change take hold. Extreme years and over 300 hectares of increasing. Fly tipping is still at an weather patterns are predicted, resulting contaminated land have been brought unacceptably high level and some of in increased flooding and droughts. back into use since 2006. More of our our aquatic biodiversity such as water Within the next 40 years it is estimated municipal waste is recycled and voles and pearl mussel have declined that the amount of water flowing in our composted, and the proportion of waste to critical levels. rivers could reduce by 10 to 15 per cent, sent to landfill is decreasing. And we face new challenges, most and as much as 80 per cent during Water quality has steadily improved. crucially the global threat of climate summer months, due to climate change. More of our beaches are achieving ‘Blue change. This is a problem so great that At the same time, Wales’ population is Flag’ status and nine out of ten of our we have to act now. There is an urgent set to grow by 400,000, meaning greater rivers reached ‘very good’ or ‘good’ need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions demand on decreasing water supplies, chemical and biological status in 2008. in order to prevent more severe climate particularly in south east Wales. The River Taff which once ran black and change in the future. Furthermore we now face tougher thick with mine and industrial waste is Environment Agency Wales is expectations. The European Water now home to healthy and increasing supporting the Welsh Government to Framework Directive sets new and more salmon stocks and last year played host achieve its target of a three per cent challenging standards for rivers and other

66 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org water bodies, placing much greater less waste and recycle more. emphasis on the ecological status of the We will also continue to tackle water environment. And the revised contaminated land and historic mine Bathing Waters Directive demands that pollution. And most crucially we are the standard of our bathing waters be playing our part (both in an advisory and raised even further. We are also charged regulatory role) in combating greenhouse with helping to achieve the ambitious gas emissions and adapting to climate target of zero waste by 2050, as part of change, factoring climate change the Welsh Government’s ‘ Towards Zero Salmon are now spawning in the River Taff as predictions into all of our work. Waste ’ strategy. far upstream as Merthyr for the first time in The pressures on public spending 100 years… but the pearl mussel (below) is The Environment Agency’s priorities declining to critical levels. that we are bound to face over the include improving our flood forecasting coming five years, the lifespan of the to provide more timely and accurate corporate pan we have just published, flood warnings, and developing a long- will influence how much we deliver and term plan for flood risk investment and at what pace. We aim to be as innovative development, including how to deal with and as efficient as possible and work even coastal erosion. We will also be increasing more closely with our partners. We our community engagement work to intend to play our part in finding make communities at risk of flooding sustainable solutions to the challenges we more flood resilient. This will involve face, by sharing expertise and evidence informing them of their flood risk, the and pooling limited resources. steps they can take to prepare themselves working with partners to achieve the new It is only through working together for a flood, and to recover more quickly higher standards for bathing water quality that we can create a better environment should this occur. to help Local Authorities gain Blue Flag now and for future generations. We will River Basin Management Plans are status for designated bathing beaches. all need to work together if we are to setting out how water companies, To help achieve zero waste by 2050, succeed in the behaviour changes that farming groups, industry, local specifically to reduce waste sent to will be necessary to cope with the authorities, the Environment Agency and landfill, we have a part to play in challenges of climate change. others will taking collective action to influencing industry in terms of their tackle pollution and other pressures on resource efficiency, encouraging them Chris Mills is Director of Environment the water environment. We’re also through our regulatory role to produce Agency Wales.

Forthcoming Conferences

Food in the City New Life for Town Centres: Building the Welsh Health Economy Monday 24 May, 9.00 – 4.00pm, Unique Places for Regeneration Monday 28 June, 9.45am – 3.45pm, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Thursday 24 June, 9.00 – 4.00pm, Parc Hotel, Park Place, Cardiff Gwent Branch Conference, Caerphilly Cardiff has just become a signed-up County Borough Council, Ystrad Mynach Wales has more than 290 companies member of the World Health working in medical and life sciences, key Organization’s Healthy Cities programme A town’s centre, its architecture, public sectors for economic development and which addresses such challenges as child art and other landmarks celebrate science policy. How can the sector make poverty and obesity. Urban food planning achievement and represent a community’s a bigger contribution to meeting Welsh has become one of the quintessential cultural heritage, not just to itself but health needs and growing the economy? global challenges of the 21st Century. to the wider world. This conference This conference charts the development examines of town centre renewal and the Keynote speakers: Professor Sir Mansel of urban food planning andd the Welsh Welsh Government’s regeneration policy. Aylward, Chair, Public Health Wales; Government’s new Food Strategy. Professor Ceri Phillips, Department of Keynote speakers: Carole-Anne Davies, Health Economics, Swansea University; Keynote Speakers : Professor Kevin Chief Executive, Design Commission for Gwyn Tudor, Forum Manager, Medi Morgan, Cardiff University, Steve Wales; Jocelyn Davies, Minister for Wales; Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy Garrett, Director, Riverside Community Housing and Regeneration; Alun Ffred First Minister and Minister for Market; Elin Jones AM, Minister for Jones AM, Minister for Heritage; Simon Economic Development, Welsh Rural Affairs; Barny Haughton, Chef Quinn, Chief Executive, Association of Government; David Perry, Chief and Owner, Bordeaux Quay, Bristol. Town Management . Executive, European Care Group.

£65 (£50 IWA members) £65 (£50 IWA members) £95 (£80 IWA members) child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture

Concept drawing of Covanta’s proposed Brig y Cwm Energy from Waste facility on the outskirts of Merthyr

Making waste pay its way Malcolm Chilton says non-recyclable waste should be used to generate sustainable electricity

Wales relies heavily on sending waste anticipated £500 million cut in public Based on detailed calculations of that cannot be recycled or reused to sector spending in Wales, and the need waste that take into account ambitious landfill sites. The rubbish rots for a new and more cost effective recycling targets, the proposed Brig y underground and produces harmful solution for the treatment of waste is Cwm facility will be adequately sized to greenhouse gases that have been compelling. Even allowing for ambitious process much of Wales’s residual waste proven to damage our environment. government recycling targets, there will – greatly easing our looming landfill So, along with other EU countries we still be a need to dispose of millions of problem while producing sustainable are is faced with challenging tonnes of residual waste. It is against energy. With the site being close to a reduction targets for the amount of this backdrop that Covanta Energy UK railway line, it will be possible for large residual waste we will be allowed to has developed its £400 million project volumes of waste to be brought in from send to landfill in future years. to produce energy from waste on an across Wales by rail, so minimising the industrial site at Brig y Cwm on the need for road haulage. Covanta has Under the European Union Landfill outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil. already entered an agreement with the Directive Target, Wales must cut the Energy from Waste facilities divert Freightliner Group that will enable the amount of waste it sends to landfill by residual waste from landfill and combust transportation of waste by rail from 50 per cent by 2013 compared to the it to generate heat and electricity – in Cardiff to Brig y Cwm. This will form amount sent in 1995. If this and ever fact recovering some of the energy used part of a network of facilities across more challenging future targets are not in making the products that become Wales that we plan to develop. met, then heavy financial penalties will waste. Covanta currently operates 45 With the ability to generate 70MW follow for local authorities. And that such facilities worldwide. Energy from of energy, over 180,000 Welsh homes would impact on council tax bills. Waste is widely used in America and could receive energy generated from In addition, the cost of burying mainland European countries to treat non-recyclable waste they threw into residual waste is also set to increase residual waste. Covanta processes over the bin just a few days earlier. significantly over the next few years with 17 million tonnes of municipal solid There is an opportunity as well to landfill taxes set to rise by 80 per cent waste a year which equates to nearly investigate making lower cost energy this year. Combine all of this with the 46,000 tonnes per day. available to homes and public buildings

68 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Become a Fellow and in Merthyr. This should help attract densely populated urban areas with other new industry investors to an area some plants built close to good quality support our work. in need of more employment. housing and new developments. “I appreciate the immense contribution that the Energy from Waste is new to Wales If given the go-ahead, the facility Institute has made and is making to the life of Wales. We would be much poorer without it. ” and so there are some understandable will be closely monitored by IWA Fellow, Labour Peer questions. Some, for example, have Environment Agency Wales and be Lord Gwilym Prys Davies concerns about the impact it will have required to meet strict emission targets. “I am an admirer of the quality of the work on recycling levels. Energy from Waste Operating in full compliance with these produced by the IWA. Its research and is not an alternative to recycling. It is regulations is core to Covanta’s publications are of inestimable value to Wales an effective way of diverting residual environmental philosophy. In fact, and its people. ” waste from landfill and generating Covanta is committed to operating well IWA Fellow, Liberal Democrat Peer, Lord Livesey of Talgarth valuable energy. In fact, in America below environmental permit levels. Covanta has seen recycling rates Wales still has a way to go in “The IWA fulfils a vital role in Welsh civic society. increase in areas where Energy from reducing its dependency on landfill If it were not there it would have to be invented. ” IWA Fellow, Rt. Hon. Dafydd Wigley Waste facilities have been built. The sites for disposing of waste that cannot Honorary President, Plaid Cymru key is for effective recycling and waste be reused or recycled. While landfill “As someone who has been involved all of my minimisation initiatives to be reduction targets are helping to reduce professional career in thinktanks, research bodies implemented in conjunction with an this dependency, they do not answer and policy units, I would like to pay tribute to the Energy from Waste facility. the question of what is to be done with way in which the IWA has clearly established There are also questions about the residual waste after landfill sites have itself as a leading forum for debate in Welsh environmental and health impacts. closed. Covanta’s proposed investment political life. ” IWA Fellow, Conservative Peer Covanta will make the findings of in Wales offers the chance for a Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach environmental studies carried out into solution to this problem – and in the Fellows of the IWA are able, if they so wish, the Merthyr proposal available to the process providing sustainable energy to become involved in shaping the work programmes public. We will operate a very clean for decades to come . of the IWA. In addition Fellows will: facility with negligible environmental • Receive special recognition in the IWA’s regular impact. In Europe and America Energy Malcolm Chilton is the managing journal Agenda (unless they have from Waste plants are often located in director of Covanta Energy UK. chosen to give their support anonymously). • Be invited to special Fellows events each year. • Have access to the IWA for policy advice and briefing. We ask that Fellows subscribe a minimum annual payment of £200 to the Fellows Fund. Life fellowship will be bestowed for a single payment of £1,000. These donations will qualify under GiftAid. I wish to become a Fellow/Life Fellow and enclose a cheque for £200/£1000. I wish to become a Fellow/Life Fellow and pay by credit/debit card the sum of £ Acct No. _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ Expiry date _ _ /_ _ I wish to pay by Direct Debit (This will help us keep our costs down) Please send me a Direct Debit application form. Please send me details about becoming an IWA Fellow.

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Covanta’s Energy from Waste plant Post Code: in Montgomery County in the USA, a rail fed operation similar to Tel: Fax: one proposed for Brig y Cwm. E-mail:

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Beauty and Blaenau Blaenau Ffestiniog viewed from the summit of Moelwyn Mawr, looking eastwards. Tanygrisiau reservoir is in the Ffestiniog foreground with the large white building immediately beyond the Rehau plastics factory. Photo: John Briggs.

Peter Ogden applauds the bid by the town at the heart of Snowdonia to become part of the National Park that surrounds it

Who would have thought 20 years industrial heritage. The drama and what is important to us and the values ago that there would have been calls silent awe that human effort has that we place on special landscapes, be for one of the largest and possibly imprinted on this valley is probably one they unspoilt or manmade. most dramatic of all industrial of the most powerful and evocative The town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, landscapes in Wales to be included in experiences that any landscape in with slate coursing every artery of life a National Park designated because Wales can provide. and its massive waste tips sculpturing of its natural beauty? Nostalgia aside and following many every contour of its character, is years of slow and painful post-industrial nothing less than a heritage paradox. Well it seems that everything that goes recuperation, this valley and the town of As a landscape it is certainly not one round comes round. Not before time Blaenau Ffestiniog are now the focus of of Wales’ most naturally beautiful. Yet the true historic and social relevance of a new and intriguing call to arms. In as a expression of man’s impact on his our latter day industrial heritage is February, a proposal was registered by surroundings, the character of this finally getting its proper recognition. Blaenau Ffestiniog’s town council for unique landscape bears all the social The bleak allure of Blaenau Ffestiniog their famous hole in the middle of the hallmarks of the extraordinary toil and will be all too familiar to anyone who Snowdonia National Park to be strife of human endeavour. By anyone’s has walked in the remarkable landscape osmotically absorbed into it. This request standards, this forgotten landscape is of Cwm Orthin on a cold rain-soaked may send shock waves through the ranks second to none and a testimony to one January day. Anyone who has done so of some landscape traditionalists or of the defining building blocks of will be aware of the contribution that wildlife purists. In reality, however, the Wales’ industrial history. those who worked in the Rhosydd and call focuses attention upon a much more So having been soundly rejected other slate mines made to Wales’ fundamental issue, which is how we view in the 1950s as an area which was

70 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org scenically worthless and unfit for which people have strong connections. south Wales mining valleys just as inclusion in the National Park, Blaenau Although “outstanding natural much an important part of our is rebounding and in so doing helping beauty” remains the legal benchmark landscape inheritance as the spectacular us to realise the true relevance of man’s used to define areas worthy of mountain-scapes of Eryri or the rugged relationship with his surroundings and protection and inclusion in the nation’s seascapes of Pembrokeshire? the valuable contributions such areas portfolio of prized landscapes, the Although our existing National Park can make to understanding and marker posted for Blaenau Ffestiniog areas must be retained because of the appreciating our past. Our sense of to be part of the Snowdonia National public benefits their special qualities respect for places and spaces shaped by Park challenges us to think about how and outstanding natural beauty provide, past human activities should no longer we now should define Wales’ most ever changing circumstances mean be an embarrassing burden on our cherished landscapes. that what they represent and our attitudes towards landscape quality. Blaenau Ffestiniog’s bid, which expectations of them should evolve. Rather, it should be an important has been supported in principle by No longer should we view them as just driving force for the care we need to Snowdonia National Park, raises scenic trophies, but recognise and show for all aspects of our environment intriguing questions as to the future promote these nationally important and for places that matter to the status of those parts of Wales with a areas as exemplars of sustainable and average person on the street. strong sense of place and how we culturally valued lived in landscapes. Allowing the National Park flag to attribute national identity to landscapes In so doing we must therefore actively flutter over Blaenau Ffestiniog is not which reflect the distinctiveness of our support those who manage our National only a perfect example of the principles social, cultural and industrial past. If Parks to pursue pioneering and creative which underpin the European Blaenafon has the distinction of being ways of managing our finest heritage Landscape Convention, that a World Heritage site because of the assets. In the process we can also “landscapes matter ”, but also illustrates “outstanding universal value” of its ensure that local communities in them that within this ambition, some Ironworks and surrounding man made can thrive, the ‘green economy’ of rural landscapes now matter perhaps more landscapes, where does that leave Wales can flourish, and Wales’ premier than we had previously realised. If Blaenau, given its status as one of the open spaces can make an even greater nothing else, Blaenau Ffestiniog has world’s most important and influential contribution to the health and mental been propelled into the forefront of the slate mining landscapes? Aren’t the well being of our nation. debate about the cultural importance of social-scapes of Blaenau Ffestiniog, There is a growing acceptance in ‘bro’ and of the value of places with Llanberis, the Rhondda and other our National Park Authorities that their stewardship principles should not just see their territories as the storehouses A closer view of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Photo: John Briggs. of our natural and scenic treasures but also as the flag bearers of Wales’ cultural heritage. As to whether Blaenau Ffestiniog will be absorbed into the Snowdonia National Park is a fascinating challenge for the Countryside Council for Wales and the Welsh Government. What could be important in this decision is that the notice given by Blaenau not only questions how we judge the true value of our landscapes, but also points us towards what a culturally refreshed 21st Century vision for Wales’ National Parks can offer.

Peter Ogden is Director of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.

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John McGrath explains how newly launched National Theatre Wales is part of a nation-building project

Improvising a tradition

Siwan Morris as Dirty Karen in National Theatre Wales’s inaugural production A Good Night Out in the Valleys .

At a Europe-wide gathering of At first it might seem odd that Wales has village, while in the Balkans the whole National Theatres at Theatr national theatres in two languages, plus a situation is very complicated indeed. Narodowy in Warsaw last stake of sorts in the building on the Nonetheless, the meeting was September, National Theatre Wales Thames – ‘The Royal National Theatre heartening. In the midst of political was the youngest company in of Great Britain’. Yet Wales is not alone. complexity, the directors and producers attendance, although not by much. At the European gathering there were a who came together believed that theatre Europe’s political geography has, variety of such bespoke solutions to the has a role in relation to the question of of course, shifted hugely in the past question of how a theatre can represent nationhood, not as a patriotic symbol, 20 years, and, with those changes, a nation. Greece has a national theatre but as a forum where a country’s past, the organisation of culture and its for the north and another for the south, present and future can be explored, relationship to government and Belgium has one for each language, imagined, and debated. nation, have been open to many Sweden has one for Stockholm and Like all national theatres National shifts too. another touring to every town and Theatre Wales grows out of a political context. In our case the creation of the National Assembly provided the essential capacity and momentum. While there have been movements in the past to set up a national theatre, this time the presence of a democratically elected body to sanction the initiative means that National Theatre Wales, and its sister company Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, have a very different status and, it is to be hoped, a more secure long- term future. Two of the other theatres in attendance at the Warsaw meeting were of particular relevance to Wales. The Boyd Clack as Con, and Sharon Morgan as Mabel. National Theatre of Scotland similarly

72 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org launch. In producing a variety of differing kinds of theatre in a range of different places we can explore the possibilities of theatre for the nation. Inevitably, some shows will work better than others, but overall the year will, we hope, give everyone involved a sense of possibilities for the future. Shows include:

• A new production of Aeschylus’s Persians in the Sennybridge Military Range. • A journey through Swansea Old Library with a choir of librarians provided by Welsh National Opera. • A lost Welsh-set John Osbourne play. Sharon Morgan in rehearsals for A Good Night Out in the Valleys . • A collaboration with No Fit State Circus. grew out of the devolution process, and All in all the European Meeting of • A new play about Bridgend from has pioneered the model of a national National Theatres, which was the first leading Welsh playwright Gary Owen. theatre without a building, with ever - again emphasising he renewed • A physical theatre take on the stories considerable success. The Scottish importance of the ‘national theatre of Gwyn Thomas. precedent helped Wales to imagine a question’ - provided a very interesting national theatre that need not wait for frame through which to see the By making each piece of work in this vast capital investment, nor get lost in questions which inevitably get asked of first year in a different location, and arguments about location. And while the National Theatre Wales. How will the ensuring that a vibrant link from theatre theatre infrastructure in Wales is very company address history? How can it to location, we will start to explore a different to that in Scotland, with far represent a diverse and decentralised nation in all of its many contemporary less of a producing theatre tradition, we country? What is the cannon? The manifestations. Of course, thirteen have undoubtedly benefited from conference indicated that there are no locations don’t take us everywhere, and Scottish support and expertise in magic answers to any of these questions, there is much of Wales still to reach. establishing National Theatre Wales. except to emphasise that the role of a In our second year we will start taking An equally interesting contribution national theatre is to engage with them work out on tour, allowing us to reach during the meeting came from the in an open and imaginative way. an ever wider number of communities. Abbey Theatre, based in Dublin. It is a theatre deeply embedded in the process “By making each piece of work in this first year of nation-building and decolonisation, but the child also of the very specific in a different location, and ensuring that a Anglo-Irish culture of Yeats’s circle. vibrant link from theatre to location, we will One very interesting comment made by start to explore a nation in all of its many the Abbey’s Literary Manager Aideen Howard was that the theatre, with its contemporary manisfestations.” extraordinary literary tradition from Synge to O’Casey and beyond, today At National Theatre Wales we Two other initiatives that run finds it hard to identify writers who will have decided to begin our exploration alongside our programme of productions engage with direct political and social of nation and theatre through an will also help us engage with the nation. subject matter, the bread and butter of opening year of productions in a series Our National Theatre Wales Assembly many English dramatists. She felt that of different locations across the will be a cross between a debate, a the Abbey’s success in developing a country. We will be performing one a public meeting, and a performance, particular dramatic writing tradition month for a year, plus a bonus extra. taking place in each town, village or city had also sometimes trapped writers We are emphasising that this whole where we put on a show, though usually within that tradition. year of work should be seen as our not in the same space. For each

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interesting network of advocates. Our online network is also important. Starting a new national theatre in the age of blogs, Facebook and YouTube has allowed us to create a dynamic social network from the very inception of the company. From the earliest planning stages, everything from the choice of the programme to our new writing policies have been debated online. Now there is a constant flow of ideas and information at nationaltheatrewales.org on everything “Our online community from the progress of rehearsals to the has become a place future of criticism. Our online where independent community has become a place where artists and companies independent artists and companies can can let people know let people know about their work, find about their work, find new collaborators, and share ideas. The Welsh theatre nation online is a new collaborators, dynamic, creative community which has and share ideas.” gained considerable international Amy Starling as Tracey, attention for its vibrancy. Oliver Wood as Gary, Huw Rhys as Kyle and One thing that came across very Sharon Morgan as Mabel in A Good Night Out in clearly in the European National the Valleys . Theatres gathering was that the creation, Picture to right and development, of a national theatre Boyd Clack in rehearsals will always involve more improvisation than tradition. National Theatre Wales Assembly we will work with local people The National Theatre Wales TEAM sits on the shoulders of the many artists, to identify a key issue they would like to programme is another initiative engaging companies, and even politicians who explore – perhaps something very with local people. The TEAMs will have helped imagine it into being. It will specific to their location, perhaps involve around 20 core individuals, from fulfil it’s role if it remains a changing, something more universal – and create a a wide range of backgrounds, in each of dynamic and responsive organisation, night of performance, debate and our chosen locations. Combining the embracing the process of constant re- dialogue around that subject. The best of marketing ambassador invention that characterises the best of Assemblies will also inform our ideas for programmes, community arts and art, and, perhaps, nation-building . future productions, and provide a forum creative leadership development, we where the role of the national theatre hope the TEAMs will give the company John McGrath is Artistic Director of can be addressed. roots across Wales, and create an National Theatre Wales.

74 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org ‘Ravishing blind harmony’

A view of Gregynog Hall, home of the music festival.

Rhian Davies provides a professional career, and knowledge of Parri Ddall, Bardd Alaw and curtain-raiser for this summer’s her life and achievement adds context Elizabeth Randles all benefited by the Gregynog music festival to the distinguished line of patronage of the Williams-Wynn family countrywomen who have followed her, of Wynnstay, Denbighshire. Watkin Comparatively little has been written from Megan Watts-Hughes, Morfydd Williams-Wynn (4th Baronet, 1749- about Welsh music during the Owen and Grace Williams to Rhian 1789) was the most significant Welsh Georgian period. However, it became Samuel and Hilary Tann. benefactor of the arts prior to clear during research to plan this year’s programming for the Gregynog Music Festival that several significant north Wales composers worked at Vauxhall and Ranelagh, London’s great Georgian Pleasure Gardens. John Parry ( Parri Ddall , 1710-1782), the ‘Celebrated Blind Harper of Ruabon’, played at Ranelagh’s famous Rotunda in 1746. Later, John Parry ( Bardd Alaw , 1776- 1851), a Denbigh-born musician and entrepreneur, was associated with the Vauxhall Gardens from 1809 and became “the principal musical caterer for that delightful summer retreat”.

Elizabeth Randles (1800-1829) of Wrexham, ‘the Little Cambrian Prodigy’, created such a sensation when she performed at the Vauxhall at the age of three that members of the Royal Family wished to adopt her! Miss Randles appears to be the first Welsh woman composer to have made a John Parry, known as Parri Ddall.

spring 2 01 0 | 75 child poverty politics & policy economy international science education environment culture

Title page of John Parry's British Harmony . Gwendoline and Margaret Davies of Gregynog and championed the music of Corelli, Geminiani, Avison and Handel as a Director of the Concerts of Antient Music which were held in London from 1776. These performances are considered the prototypes for today’s classical music concerts, and an example will be recreated at Gregynog by members of the Academy of Ancient Music, directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk. To reflect the fact that Parri Ddall was a triple harp virtuoso, the Gregynog Festival will also host the cream of today’s triple harpers with a day school and concert at St Mary’s Church, Ruabon, where he is buried. The event will feature presentations by Oliver Fairclough on Wynnstay’s artistic heritage, Ann Griffiths on Parri Ddall himself, and Miles Wynn Cato on Parry’s artist son William, the subject of his recent book. William Parry studied with Sir Joshua Reynolds and painted several portraits of his father which now form part of the collection at

Highlights from the 2010 Gregynog Festival

8 June: Premièr of Gregynog Festival commission, on a Georgian Pleasure Gardens theme, composed by Huw Watkins, with 21-year-old flautist Adam Walker, newly appointed principal of the London Symphony Orchestra. 10 June: Day school on John Parry (Parri Ddall) at St Mary’s Church, Ruabon, and. an evening concert at Gregynog with Robin Huw Bowen, Rhes Ganol, Ann Griffiths and Angharad Evans. 11 June: Dame Emma Kirkby performs a sequence of virtuosic arias written for the soprano Cecilia Young to perform at the Vauxhall Gardens. 12 June: Catrin Finch, the leading Welsh harpist of the present generation will peform music by John Parry (Parri Ddall). 13 June: Academy of Ancient Music, directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk. 18 June: The Musicians of the Globe give the world première performance of their new Elizabethan programme, All in a Garden Green . 19 June: International pianist, Noriko Ogawa, combines Romantic piano repertoire with contemporary works from her native Japan. 20 June: Choral concert presented by The Tallis Scholars, comprising glorious settings of the Song of Songs by Renaissance masters including Palestrina, Vivanco and de Rore.

76 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org National Museum Wales, Cardiff. Edwards, and others from 1764 (and eighteenth-century Snetzler chamber Parri Ddall overcame the significant which is now deposited in the National organ which Watkin Williams-Wynn disadvantages of a disability and an Library at Aberystwyth), juxtaposes commissioned for his London home, impoverished upbringing on the Ll yˆn Parry’s original compositions and 20 St James’s Square, in 1775. The Peninsula to forge a successful variations on familiar airs such as organ has formed part of the performance career in Dublin, Oxford Millionen [sic] and Dafudd Gareg Wen Museum’s collection since it was and Cambridge as well as in London [sic] with music by leading 18th Century acquired at auction in 1996. and Denbighshire as harpist to the contemporaries including Handel, Corelli, Our Pleasure Gardens Williams-Wynns. Handel admired his Johann Adolph Hasse (a favourite programming is completed by Dame Emma Kirkby who makes her “One of the features of our Ruabon programming Gregynog début on with a sequence of virtuosic arias written for the soprano will be the opportunity to hear a selection of Cecilia Young to perform at the these ‘classical’ and ‘traditional’ compositions Vauxhall Gardens. According to the Shrewsbury-born music historian played on the triple harp and to experience the Charles Burney, Cecilia had “a good sound world that would have been familiar to natural voice and a fine shake [and] Parry and Handel themselves.”” had been so well taught, that her style of singing was infinitely superior to that of any other Englishwoman of her playing and Parry is known to have composer of Frederick the Great of time”. Handel created several roles for performed the composer’s famous B Prussia) and Thomas Arne (notably his her to perform, including Dalinda in flat Concerto at Hickford’s Great signature tune Rule Britannia ). Ariodante , Morgana in Alcina and the Room in London in 1741 and in Leeds One of the features of our Ruabon title role in Athalia , while Cecilia’s in 1742. After hearing Parry play in programming will be the opportunity to husband Thomas Arne wrote music Cambridge in 1757, the poet Thomas hear a selection of these ‘classical’ and for her to perform at the Vauxhall Gray was inspired to turn back and ‘traditional’ compositions played on the Gardens. Dame Emma’s Gregynog complete his famous work The Bard triple harp and to experience the sound programme with the London Handel which had lain unfinished for two world that would have been familiar to Players features examples of these years. “Mr Parry has been here,” Gray Parry and Handel themselves. Sadly, many roles, interspersed with wrote to his friend William Mason, Parry’s own harp by John Richards, instrumental music by other continental “and scratched out such ravishing blind Llanrwst, was destroyed in the great composers based in 18th Century harmony, such tunes a thousand years fire at Wynnstay in 1858. However, London, including Johann Christian old, with names enough to choke you, its dimensions were preserved by the Bach (the eleventh and youngest son as have set all the body a-dancing”. Brecon antiquary, Reverend Thomas of Johann Sebastian), Carl Friedrich Parry’s publications are rightly Price (‘Carnhuanawc’, 1787-1848), Abel and Felice Giardini. regarded as significant early collections of meaning that the leading instrument traditional music: Antient British Music maker Christopher Barlow has been Rhian Davies is a music historian and (1742), A Collection of Welsh, English able to build an exact copy. This harp broadcaster and Artistic Director of the and Scotch Airs (1761), and British will be heard at Ruabon. It was also Gregynog Festival in her native Harmony (1781). The 1761 volume heard at the Festival’s media launch in Montgomeryshire. Tickets for Gregynog includes his landmark Four new Lessons the Wynnstay Gallery of the National Festival performances are available for the Harp or Harpsichord which are Museum in Cardiff in March. At the online via the Festival website, still widely played today. A manuscript launch some of Parri Ddall ’s music www.gwylgregynogfestival.org , or by compiled in the hand of a pupil, Robert was played by Robin Baggs on an contacting 01686 207100 .

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Hurricane from Llangennech Dylan Iorwerth remembers the late Hywel Teifi Edwards

Since 4 January this year, many lectures, he forced the Welsh speaking His ebullience – or bullishness as people have tried heroically – but in political community, in particular, to Meic Stephens put it in his obituary in vain – to catch the essence of Hywel face up to the uncomfortable story of the Independent – sometimes masked Teifi Edwards. Some of his closest its evolution. Symbolically, the starting his scholarship. He was the oracle for friends have come close, but would date, was around 1847, when the Welsh culture in the second half of the probably admit that it is impossible infamous inspectors toured Welsh 19th Century and the first decade of the to catch in words the vitality and schools and published the disparaging 20th Century but, more than anything, presence of the man. Hywel Teifi report that became known as the Blue was the historian of national attitudes, was an experience. Books or, more often, The Treason of as expressed through literature, theatre the Blue Books . For Hywel Teifi, they and other vehicles of culture. The university lecturer who thrived were a cause of, and a catalyst for, the In Welsh-speaking circles, the particularly on his extra mural classes subservient, empire-loving, dying-to- Eisteddfod was the supreme expression also had a comparatively brief period as please attitudes that were to blight of this. He analysed and, occasionally, a working politician, as a Dyfed County much of Welsh-speaking Wales for dissected the great festival. Amongst Councillor for Plaid Cymru for 14 years the next century and a half. In those his own people – in the Pabell Lên, and as a two-time parliamentary attitudes he was able to trace many of or Literature Pavilion, which was candidate, once in Llanelli and then in the complexes which held – and still invariably packed to creaking point Carmarthen in 1987. Succeeding hold? - us back from a confident, open when he spoke, he could be devastating Gwynfor Evans and suffering from the and generous assertion of our identity. about some of its weaknesses. To a less anti-Conservative Labour squeeze of that And he told us so. To listen to one sympathetic audience, he would defend year, his creditable 23 per cent of the of Hywel Teifi’s lectures was to be it to the last blow of the herald’s horn. vote was still a disappointment. More so coaxed and cajoled, to be damned and But Hywel Teifi Edwards enjoyed the for being beaten into third place by the Conservative, Rod Richards, whose “Audiences for a Hywel Teifi lecture knew they were politics, considering his background, were inexplicable to Hywel Teifi. in for the long haul – almost a flask and sandwiches That result denied us the enjoyment occasion – but would usually leave wanting more.” of seeing the hurricane from Llangennech whirling into the Westminster establishment, but it also delighted. It was like being in a half-time Eisteddfod with all its foibles, just as he saved him from years of frustration. pep talk after a particularly inept enjoyed the extravagant expressions of A fairly reluctant candidate, he would performance. “What’s the matter with sentimental Welshness in events like the hardly have enjoyed the suffocating you?” he might have been asking, before great pageant of 1909 or the Chicago atmosphere of Westminster. proceeding to answer the question with World Fair of 1893. So, his real political contribution all the wit, and some of the profanity, of These were the manifestations of was more lateral. Through his academic an old-fashioned soccer boss. They were the crack in our image brought about by work, and particularly his public deliberately bravura performances. the Treason of the Blue Books , often

78 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org Hywel Teifi Edwards in his white robes as a member of the Order of Druids at the National Eisteddfod. expressing themselves in seeming period, as another Emrys ap Iwan, the in the Welsh cultural psyche, he was confidence but more often in uber- essayist and polemicist who derided also one of the few who studied the moralism. Hywel Teifi often referred to the Welsh for their subservience. He image and role of the coal miner in “Cymru lân, Cymru lonydd” (Pure would have loved the cut and Welsh literature, again vigorously Wales, placid Wales) and “Gwlad y bludgeon of cultural and political shaken in the slipstream of the Blue menyg gwynion” (The land of the white argument and the idiosyncracies of the Books. With family connections to the gloves), the image of a God-fearing, characters around him. industrial valleys of south Wales and virtuous folk that developed in response As an opponent in debate, he could having lived and lectured in several to the Blue Books’s accusations of use bluster and even mockery as a parts of the industrial south-west he had immorality and ignorance. tactic but, as many of his eulogists a more complete vision of Wales than All this would be expressed in an mentioned, could be far more subtle many Welsh speakers and non Welsh explosion of language. Audiences for a when the need arose. M. Wynn speakers alike. And his culturual world Hywel Teifi lecture knew they were in Thomas mentioned his winning ways included boxing and soccer too. for the long haul – almost a flask and in defending the Welsh language within Whilst Hywel Teifi’s numerous sandwiches occasion – but would the University in Swansea. Many books manage to capture his scholarship usually leave wanting more. It was an members of the erstwhile St. David’s and erudition – and some of his way echo of the kind of vibrancy that he Forum remember his paean to with words – they can’t express the full saw in the 19th Century, long Llanddewi Aberarth, the Ceredigion force of his personality, as a person and suffocated in Welsh culture by seafaring village of his childhood. It was cultural historian. Hywel Teifi’s political stultifying biographies of ministers and lyrical and loving but was aimed at influence will be seen in the attitudes dire epic poems that aimed to mimic smashing another myth. Far from being of people who heard him and read his the creations of the world’s great parochial, Llanddewi Aberarth had a work – those who had the experience . civilisations – Rome, Greece and, of Sunday School classfull of sea captains course, the British Empire. who had sailed around the Horn. Dylan Iorwerth is Managing Editor of Many felt that Hywel Teifi himself While he wrote a valuable book the weekly Golwg and the Golwg360 would have been at home in that about the reality and myth of the village online service.

spring 2 01 0 | 79 last word Peter Stead

Time to overcome tribal loyalties

were declared (on either spurious or must be different in this essential respect. mistaken grounds), as soldiers died, as This is no time for returning lobby fodder banks collapsed and immigration, or time-servers who regard the Commons education, crime and health policies drifted as a prize for services rendered. If a unsatisfactorily, I feel little urge to vote for particular candidate strikes you as being anyone. At PMQ the House reminds me a good social worker, community official of the audience at that old TV programme or local councillor perhaps it is best that The Good Old Days . they stay in those jobs. It was the coming of television in 1954 In fact I see nothing wrong in not In Wales it is particularly important that clinched my adolescent passion voting. After all, a vote has to be earned that we grill our candidates about the big for politics. I watched all the news and, in any case, there is more to politics issues. Try to gauge whether for them the programmes and prided myself on and public policy than Parliament. One Past is, as Alan Harris has it in his new knowing every MP and their can be an active citizen by lobbying, National Theatre Wales play, ‘a trap’. Are constituencies (Cyril Osborne, Louth: writing, joining the IWA or demonstrating. they so wrapped up in the rhetoric of Harold Davies, Leek etc.) On my first Nonetheless, the 2010 Election will be an Saunders Lewis, A. J. Cook or Aneurin visit to Westminster in 1960 important one. At stake is whether the Bevan that they are unable to focus on the I was enthralled as Gaitskell poured country is going to descend into urgent issues of our time? Working within ridicule on Macmillan in a censure bankruptcy and post-industrial mediocrity. our traditions of community and mutuality debate and later rode in the tiny It is an election in which we should all vote we need to create wealth and develop Commons lift with Winston Churchill. but only after a thorough scrutiny of every skills, confidence and ambition. That can candidate, regardless of party or the only be done by harnessing the energies It was inevitable that in time I would be a personality of party leaders. of educators, scientists, technicians and parliamentary candidate and that was to be You should certainly not vote for any entrepreneurs. It is a time to cut through an experience that I relished. To this day I candidate that you have not met. There is sentimental shibboleths, cramping tribal love the existential act of canvassing. When no excuse for any candidate who has not loyalties, inhibiting political correctness as that door opens will it be a reactionary rung your bell, been in your street or held well as the professional self-interest of armed with a blunderbuss or a housewife in a meeting nearby. You should demand full policy consultants who have diverted her nightgown. I always loved that moment biographical details. In recent years the our attention from the radical thinking in the movie Left, Right and Centre when career details provided in candidate needed in areas such as health and, most the Tory candidate canvassed a house addresses have become increasingly skimpy crucially education. displaying his poster and then, as he leaves, and impressionistic. Were those university I feel very strongly that we should all we see the householder removing it. courses completed? Was that job in make this Election into a new beginning. My passion for political news survives advertising one of leafleting? Candidates I do not intend to vote for any candidate but as the General Election approaches need to be grilled about their local unless I receive clear answers on these big I must confess that for some time now I connections and knowledge. One can soon issues. So great are the issues that they have been disillusioned by the actual act detect whether there is any sense of place far transcend the pettiness of what passes of voting. Indeed from the start it was and degree of empathy. When the Tory for party politics. If there is to be a hung something of an anticlimax. I was 22 candidate in Cardiff South East once parliament (surely there is a case for a before I was eligible to vote (I had been revealed that he did not know that there hanged parliament?) I would settle for unenfranchised as I worked for Jim was a local steel works, his audience roared putting in charge a National Government Callaghan in 1964) and, thereafter, I duly and the chairman told them that “if they of Peter Mandelson, Alistair Darling, voted for dull candidates in safe seats. I were on the platform they would look as Vince Cable and William Hague. often lingered in gimcrack canvas voting big a fool as the candidate”. I am so tired of the smirking Brown booths, stubby pencil in hand, but as Above all we need to assess the pretending that great issues such as war, the deed was done I never heard the political intelligence of people seeking our defence and debt are nothing to do with Hallelujah Chorus ring out. vote. One should only vote for candidates him, with the earnest Cameron thinking As every election approaches we are with a clear and coherent set of beliefs and up a new issue every day and with reminded that people died or, even worse, values, a precise agenda and, above all, jeering backbenchers. These are serious were sent to Australia so that we could who are capable of displaying that they times, almost akin to 1940, and what is vote. As I look at a Commons whose have the energy and determination to needed is a new professionalism and members finessed their expenses, as wars change things. I really believe that 2010 courage in politics.

80 | www.iwa.org.uk | www.cl ickonwales.org 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:

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For information on IWA events and publications please visit our website at www.iwa.org.uk or call 029 2066 0820 new publication Against the Od ds The survival of Wels h identity

Harold C arter

Over the best part of two millennia, notions of Welsh identity have ebbed and flowed but the desire to ensure the retention and survival of Welshness has stayed.

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