One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales - LGIU Page 1 of 7 LGIU Local Government Information Unit Independent Intelligent Information One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales (LGIUandSTEER) 26/7/2007 Author: Juliet Morris Reference No: PB 1553/07L This covers: Wales Overview Talks between the political parties following the National Assembly for Wales elections in May concluded, earlier this month, with an agreement between the Labour Party in Wales and Plaid Cymru to govern in coalition. Last week, First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, announced his new ministerial team of Labour and Plaid Cymru Assembly Members (AMs) and described One Wales as “the blueprint for our next four years in Government”. In effect, it provides the strategic agenda for the new Welsh Assembly Government. One Wales – a progressive agenda for the government of Wales draws together a range of commitments made in the respective parties’ manifestos. It expresses a shared commitment to governing in coalition for a full term of office (i.e. until the elections in May 2011) and sets out a wide range of specific actions which the coalition government intends to progress: “This programme for government is ambitious yet realistic. It is radical yet deliverable. It makes best use of the powers and resources available to the government and puts on the agenda whether further changes are needed." This briefing outlines the broad direction and details the actions of most interest to local authorities. These are most notable in relation to: z governance - at local and national levels z regional economic development z schools' organisation z affordable and social housing z rural support and development z sustainability and energy. Briefing in full One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales “Our ambition is no less than to transform Wales into a self-confident, prosperous, healthy nation and society, which is fair to all.” One Wales reflects commitments to social justice, sustainability and inclusivity and proposes a comprehensive programme of government, for a full four year term, which addresses themes across the whole policy spectrum. http://www.lgiu.gov.uk/briefing-detail.jsp?&id=1553&md=0&section=briefing 27/07/2007 One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales - LGIU Page 2 of 7 A strong and confident nation The focus is upon strengthening governance in order to “transform people’s lives” and is proposed in three key areas: z full law-making powers for the Assembly –with a referendum “at or before the end of the Assembly term” and the establishment, within six months, of an all-Wales Convention to undertake the preparatory work; z Assembly funding and finance – reviewed by an independent Commission and to include a study of the Barnett Formula, of tax-varying and borrowing powers and the feasibility of corporation tax rebates in the Convergence Fund region; z public services - a new strategy for the continual improvement of local services in Wales which embeds “the imperatives of efficiency and citizen-centred services in the context of the Wales Spatial Plan”, a review of public service bodies' governance structures to ensure alignment with this improvement agenda, a commitment to developing Local Service Boards and Agreements and the establishment of a Strategic Capital Investment Board to ensure best use of capital finance. A Healthy Future Health service improvements will “put democratic engagement at the heart of the NHS” and “guarantee public ownership, public funding and public control of this vital public service”, including: z a new approach to NHS reconfiguration – a moratorium on existing proposals for community hospitals and greater emphasis on local accountability, consultation, participation and agreement; z changes to NHS finance and management – ending, by 2011, the internal market, the use of private sector hospitals by the NHS, the Private Finance Initiative and competitive tendering for NHS cleaning contracts; z health service developments – new multi-purpose well-being centres and an additional £190 million in public health and health improvement; z access to health care – waiting times reduced, free prescriptions maintained, an extension of the Health Inequalities Fund, a Charter for Patients Rights, legislation on NHS redress requirements and a new Rural Health Plan; z social care – new legislation to address domiciliary care services' charges, the development of not-for-profit nursing homes, a review of the Carers Strategy, new legislation on the rights of carers and on vulnerable children, looked-after children and children in poverty. A Prosperous Society A set of actions are proposed to create “a strong and enterprising economy and full employment based on quality jobs” in which everyone has “the opportunity to achieve a reasonable standard of living, no matter where they live or what they do” and best use is made of all the available tools “from public procurement and support for private investment to European Union funding to enable businesses to flourish and expand”: z job creation across Wales - a labour market strategy with a long term goal of full (80%) employment, guaranteed investment in all regions of Wales, a 'green jobs' strategy and exploration of a public sector investment agreement with the European Investment Bank; z enterprise and business growth - an All-Wales Purchasing Code of Practice to increase public purchasing from business in Wales, a single investment fund for business support with provision for social enterprise and environmental incentives, an enhanced business http://www.lgiu.gov.uk/briefing-detail.jsp?&id=1553&md=0&section=briefing 27/07/2007 One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales - LGIU Page 3 of 7 rate relief scheme and greater support for tourism; z skills for jobs - a targeted programme to improve skill levels, better links between education and entrepreneurship, procurement which 'incentivises' training opportunities for the unemployed and support for Union learning initiatives. Living Communities : a home for all Efforts centre around tackling the shortage of affordable housing which is identified as one of the greatest challenges facing communities in Wales: z housing need – new legislation to suspend the Right to Buy in areas of housing need, a revised Technical Advice Note (TAN) 20 to allow Language Impact Assessments for planning purposes and powers for local authority to permit 100% affordable housing on some development sites and to control the conversion of full-time dwellings into second homes; z access to housing - grants for first-time buyers and the inclusion of a ‘rural enterprise worker category’ in TAN 6 affecting essential dwellings in the countryside; z the supply of affordable housing - increased funding for social housing, a social housing requirement in all sizeable new housing developments, greater freedom to local authorities to designate non-development sites for the sole purpose of affordable housing, new Section 106 guidance on ‘affordability’ and ‘local’ criteria, a radical increase in the supply of publicly-owned land for local, affordable housing and a statutory duty on local authorities to prepare a specific affordable housing delivery plan; z 21st-century housing quality - a review of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and possible extension of the compliance time-table, ensure the availability of impartial advice to tenants during stock transfer ballot processes, a restriction on re-ballots within a local authority's term of office and additional funding for the Supporting People programme. Living communities : Access for all A Wales is envisaged “where travelling between communities in different parts of Wales is both easy and sustainable”. Proposals take account of the needs of those without a car and the unavoidable costs of car-ownership for those in non-urban communities by prioritising a “modern, integrated public transport system”: z regional and national transport - improved North-South travel, a new all-Wales Traws Cambria integrated transport network with electronic cross-ticketing, improved arrangements for regional and national strategic planning for transport and £50 million investment in major road link improvements; z accessibility - use of new local powers to develop new bus routes between communities, linking up cycle routes on an all-Wales basis, enhancing rail discounts for pensioners, investing in community transport, cycling, safe routes to school and 20 mph zones, new legislation to improve school transport and a plan to move freight from road to rail. Learning for Life The role of education for children, young people and through adult life and the contribution of “a learning culture …to achieve social justice, ensure economic productivity and meet the challenges of new technology” will be supported by: z a new right to learning to 18 - a broader-based baccalaureate incorporating vocational and academic learning, a new Welsh-medium education requirement on local authorities and national Welsh-medium Education Strategy; z funding reforms - a move to three year funding arrangements, a review of the school http://www.lgiu.gov.uk/briefing-detail.jsp?&id=1553&md=0&section=briefing 27/07/2007 One Wales : a progressive agenda for the government of Wales - LGIU Page 4 of 7 funding formula and continuation of the existing grant arrangements for small and rural schools; z young children – additional finance to progress and extend universal, affordable childcare; z