Issue 19—August 2009 Assembly Bwletin Cynulliad On the agenda this month: Out with the old, in with the new: a wave of AMs to stand down at 2011 election Welsh laws for next year announced: Assembly Government unveils its programme Assembly Government to consult on tighter GM controls: crop growers to be li- able? Funding Wales: reports’ pressure to re-examine funding formula A review into the creative industries in Wales The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a review of the creative industries in Wales, in response to the Communities and Culture Committee’s report into public service broadcasting. Professor Ian Hargreaves, a former Ofcom board member who is currently serving at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will lead the review into ‚market sizing, the market opportunity for Wales for all segments of the creative industries sector, the Welsh Assembly Government’s internal and external linkages, skills and a review of the IP fund‛. Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones added ‚With a wealth of experience of the me- dia both in Wales and beyond, Professor Hargreaves’ insight will allow Wales to derive Professor Ian Hargreaves will lead the most benefit from this vital sector.‛ A former BBC Wales Controller, Geraint Talfan the review into the creative indus- Davies, called the appointment ‚a considerable coup‛ for the Assembly Government. tries in Wales Assembly Bwletin Cynulliad is a joint initiative between Grayling Political Strategy and the In- stitute of Welsh Affairs, bringing you the ABC of Welsh politics every month. Institute of Welsh Affairs Grayling Political Strategy 4 Cathedral Road 2 Caspian Point, Caspian Way, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ Cardiff Bay, CF10 4DQ Tel: 029 2066 0820 Tel: 029 2046 2507 www.iwa.org.uk www.grayling.com Out with the old, in with the new Grayling Political Strategy It has been a busy month for numerous UK parlia- When the next Welsh General mentary and National Assembly candidates, with a Election comes around there will number of new faces coming onto the scene and some be a number of new faces at the potentially controversial ones leaving. doorstep and at local hustings, including the current President of Islwyn Assembly Member Irene James AM joins the Wales TUC Cymru, Vaughan ranks of Labour Members not standing at the next Gething (pictured) who will be Welsh General Election; a group which, at the time of contesting the Cardiff South and Penarth seat for writing, includes Lorraine Barrett AM (Cardiff South Welsh Labour. Gething, who has been described by & Penarth), Dr. Brian Gibbons AM (Aberavon), Jane Welsh blogger Miss Wagstaff as ‚impressive‛, was Davidson AM (Pontypridd), Val Lloyd (Swansea elected to the Presidency of the TUC at the age of 34, East) and Rhodri Morgan AM (Cardiff West) – who, it which not only made him the youngest in the organi- is purported will remain on the Labour backbenches sation’s history but also its first black President. In a until the next Welsh General Election – once he bid to reclaim the once Labour heartland of Blaenau stands down as First Minister. Plaid Cymru’s pro- Gwent, the Welsh Labour party have selected current spective UK parliamentary candidate for Ogmore, Mid & West Wales Assembly Member and ex-Plaid Siân Caiach also returns to the grass roots as it is re- Cymru firebrand Alun Davies AM to contest the seat ported that Plaid Cymru dropped her, following in- against the incumbent AM, Independent Trish Law. ternal disciplinary actions after she allegedly leaked Punches flew early in what is sure to be a controver- stories to the Western Mail from inside the party. sial contest with Mr Davies AM stating back in April that he would be contesting the seat, saying that Ms. Law was ‚invisible‛ and had ‚largely done nothing‛. Welsh laws for next year announced Grayling Political Strategy As the Welsh Assembly wound up its proceedings for Summer Recess (20 July – 21 September) the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan AM, announced last week the key issues that the Welsh Assembly Government will be tackling upon its return. A notable part of the legislative programme for 2009/10 will be a Welsh Language Measure, in pre- sumption of a successful Legislative Competence Or- der (LCO) in the field to devolve powers to the Na- tional Assembly. Despite criticism during scrutiny by the Welsh Affairs Select Committee of parts of the and treatment of mental disorders. LCO, the Welsh Assembly Government laid out plans to establish Wales’ first Language Commissioner; The Welsh Assembly Government will also seek pow- confirm the official status of Welsh and English; and ers to legislate on a variety of areas including: cement linguistic rights in the provision of services. Sustainable social housing In the area of health, Rhodri Morgan AM proposed a Schools governance Carers Order to support young carers and to require School bus safety and concessionary bus fares the NHS and local authorities to produce a carers’ The structure of local government mechanisms information strategy as well as a Mental Health to improve decision making and scrutiny. Measure to address issues around the assessment Assembly Government to consult on tighter GM controls Institute of Welsh Affairs The Assembly Government has published a consulta- tion on tighter controls of genetically modified crops in Wales. Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones AM, said the plans, which were published in February this year, aimed to protect traditional crops from GM ‛contamination‛. The plans include proposals for GM-free zones across Wales and the banning of planting GM crops in certain areas, such as National Parks. The Assembly Govern- ment also plans to create a public register of GM crops and to make GM crop growers liable if crop material they grow mixes with conventional or organic crops. ability of farmers in Wales to grow organic and con- The Minister said the liability proposals would ventional crops free from GM contamination.‛ ‛complement‛ recent regulation that makes growers liable for any environmental damage that is caused by The plans aimed to address a loophole exposed when what they grow. a farmer near Hay-on-Wye grew GM crops in defiance of the Assembly Government’s pledge make Wales ‚Our proposed measures will be more restrictive than ‘GM-free’. Writing in the IWA journal, Agenda, Profes- those proposed in England and Northern Ireland,‛ the sor Denis Murphy, University of Glamorgan (pictured), Minister said. "It is not legally possible to declare called the plans ‚a rather bizarre throwback‛ based on Wales GM-free, but we will continue our restrictive ‚discredited findings on the alleged toxicity of some approach. I am committed to maintaining consumers’ GM materials‛. Environmental groups welcomed the right to choose food without GM presence and the proposals. The consultation ends in September. Funding Wales Institute of Welsh Affairs Reform is needed in the way the governing of Wales is current system a ‘fudge’ and calculated that Wales funded, according to two reports published in the past could be missing about £300m of funding entitlement month. The reports, by a House of Lords committee as a result of the formula’s operation. and the Holtham Commission in Wales, both exam- ined the Barnett formula, which is used to determine While there appears to be growing consensus for re- changes in public spending in Wales. form in Wales it is unlikely that this will come soon. Scotland is judged to have done relatively well by the The formula is named after Lord Barnett, who devised formula, so there is little pressure from reform coming it while Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the 1970s. from the Scottish Government or Parliament. He has since called for its overhaul a number of times. The formula determines funding changes in Wales The current UK Labour Government has continued the (and elsewhere in the UK) based on changes in public precedent set by previous administrations not to tinker spending in England. Changes are applied to the block with the formula, for a variety of political and finan- grant that the Welsh Assembly Government receives cial reasons. It is also unlikely that a new Conservative to use in Wales for use in the Welsh budget. Government in the near future would want to expend political capital on a ‘fringe’ issue between Wales and The report by the Lords said: ‚The Barnett formula England. However, a Government led by David Cam- should no longer be used to determine annual increase eron might wish to propose solutions in relation to in the block grant for the UK’s devolved administra- Scotland, which would also be likely to include paral- tions.‛ The Holtham Commission’s report calls the lel provision for Welsh funding. IWA and Grayling’s recent activity The Institute of Welsh Affairs publications Keep your ear to the ground with Grayling Political Strategy…… Challenges facing the Welsh NHS in tackling cancer, heart disease and healthcare associated infections Located in the heart of Cardiff Bay, Grayling Political Strategy is one of Wales’ leading public affairs consul- £5 (discount to IWA members) tancies offering: Strategic political support – senior counsel, sub- Regional Economies in a Globalising World missions to consultations, stakeholder manage- Economists and economic geographers working in con- ment trasting locations reflect on economic development in the context of globalisation. What lessons can Wales Monitoring and analysis of the Welsh political learn? environment £10 (discount to IWA members) Organisation and delivery of campaigns Media relations support and media training Will Britain Survive Beyond 2020? Crisis management and events This collection of essays starts with an examination of the Welsh nation, follows with an analysis of the re- Connections with colleagues in London, Brussels sponse of the Conservative Party and that of all parties and Edinburgh to devolution, and concludes with a signature essay, Will Britain survive beyond 2020? Feel free to contact the team for further information and £12 (discount to IWA members) services.