Category: Wales

Rebecca Evans – 2022 Welsh Government Response to the UK Autumn Statement

The statement made by Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Minister for Finance and Local Government, on 17 November 2022.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer today presented his Autumn Statement against the backdrop of inflation at a 40-year high and the ongoing cost-of-living and cost-of-energy crisis for people, public services and businesses.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has confirmed the UK economy is in the early phase of a recession that will likely be lengthy and which will result in real and significant costs for people across the UK. The rate of unemployment is expected to increase substantially. People’s household disposable incomes are expected to fall by more than 7% over next two years – the biggest fall on record – to levels last seen in 2013.

Ahead of the Autumn Statement, I called on the Chancellor to invest in people and public services. This was partially reflected today, with additional funding over the next two years but it does little to address the immense challenges created by rising inflation.

Our overall settlement over the three-year spending review period (2022-23 to 2024-25) is still worth less in real terms than it was at the time of the Spending Review last year. We will receive an additional £1.2bn over the next two years (2023-24 and 2024-25) but our overall budget in 2024-25 will be no higher in real terms than in the current year and our capital budget will be 8.1% lower.

As the London School of Economics, OECD and others have stated, additional capital investment is vital to improve productivity and growth, yet there was little of substance in the Chancellor’s statement to support our energy security and decarbonisation.

The tax measures announced today do mean that those on higher incomes, and more able to afford it, are being asked to contribute more to help fill the hole created by the UK Government’s mismanagement of public finances. However, everyone is being asked to pay more.

I am concerned about the UK Government’s stealth tax increases on workers with its decision to freeze income tax thresholds, particularly the personal allowance. As more workers are drawn into higher tax bands, a greater proportion of their pay will immediately be lost. People in Wales are likely to be disproportionately affected by this measure.

The UK Government has listened to my suggestion to increase the windfall tax on the energy sector, however it could have done more to close loopholes that enable oil and gas companies to offset their tax liability if they invest profits in the UK. There was also scope for the UK Government to expand this tax to cover the banking sector.

Targeting support to the most vulnerable is an absolute necessity and it was essential that the Chancellor responded to our call to raise pensions and benefits in line with inflation. There was nothing in the statement about additional measures which could have made a practical difference to the cost-of-living crisis, such as help for those on pre-payment meters, support for credit unions and further action to prevent people becoming homeless.

While the Chancellor’s Statement provided further details of the energy price guarantee for homes, from April next year the average household can still expect to see a further increase of £500 in its annual energy bill and there was no clarity for businesses about what tariffs they will be paying next year.

Inflation has eroded the Welsh Government’s budget to worrying levels and local authorities and NHS organisations are reporting significant shortfalls in funding as a result of inflation, pay pressures and rising energy costs. The Chancellor’s statement today fails to address this significant funding gap.

To make up this shortfall and secure the short-term future of the vital public services on which we all rely, we needed to see our budget increase in line with inflation. This has not happened.

As a Welsh Government, we will continue to work to prioritise our budgets to shield the most vulnerable and maintain our commitment to create a stronger, fairer and greener Wales as we prepare our draft Budget 2023-24.

We will carefully consider the detail of today’s statement as we work towards publication of the draft Budget next month.

December 3, 2022
Jeremy Miles – 2022 Statement on Welsh History in the Curriculum for Wales

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Minister for Education and Welsh Language, on 15 November 2022.

We believe that everyone should learn about and be able to critically engage with the history of our country in all its diversity. Our vision is for all of our citizens, including young people, to understand how history, language, diversity and culture have shaped Wales to become the proud and unique nation we are today. We want all our learners to understand the history of Wales including the history of the Welsh language. Moreover, we want all of our learners to feel inspired to use the Cymraeg they have, wherever they are on their Welsh language journey.

Through the statements of ‘What Matters’ Code and the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience, Welsh history is a mandatory part of the new curriculum.

The Welsh Government strengthened the statements of ‘What Matters’ for Humanities following consultation in spring 2021 to ensure the study of Welsh history is both explicit and compulsory for schools and settings. They now state:

“Through consistent exposure to the story of their locality and the story of Wales, as well as to the story of the wider world, learners can develop an understanding of the complex, pluralistic and diverse nature of societies, past and present. These stories are diverse, spanning different communities as well as in particular the stories of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. This also enables learners to develop a common understanding of the diverse history, cultural heritage, ethnic diversity, identities, experiences and perspectives of their local area, Wales and the wider world.”

The Co-operation Agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government emphasises the importance of Welsh history – in all of its diversity and complexity – being mandatory in the new Curriculum for Wales and commits us to reviewing the mandatory statements of What Matters Code and other supporting guidance to further strengthen this shared commitment. This will happen, following consultation, over the course of the coming academic year to provide explicit reference to the ‘history of Wales and the world’. The guidance underpinning this will also be updated to reflect and provide full support for this change. In line with Co-Operation Agreement, we will also commission the development of an overarching timeline of Welsh history and further updates will be provided in due course.

The Welsh Government held a National Network conversation on Welsh history, in all its diversity, in April 2022. This conversation gathered perspectives from schools and stakeholders to develop common approaches around the teaching of local and Welsh history and how the Welsh language and diverse communities can play a vital role in identity and belonging. We are now looking at how we can further support teachers. This will include holding further National Network conversations focused on Welsh history and culture, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories and culture in Wales, and the history and current situation of the Welsh language in terms of national and local contexts.

We are also commissioning supporting materials to enable teachers designing their curriculum to reflect Wales’ diverse history and communities. This includes a specific timeline to support the teaching and learning of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories and contributions, plus an interactive map of Wales.

We will continue to work with stakeholders, including historians and academics, over the coming months to look at further ways of supporting teachers as we move towards the full implementation of the Curriculum for Wales. Delivering the recommendations made by the ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, Contributions and Cynefin in the New Curriculum Working Group’ will be integral to the teaching of Welsh history. In June, I published an Annual Report on the progress made to date on implementation of the recommendations.

Today, I am also publishing our formal response to the Estyn thematic report on The teaching of Welsh history including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic history, identity and culture. We are addressing these recommendations as part of the implementation of the actions above. I am delighted to confirm that Professor Charlotte Williams OBE has agreed to extend her advisory role with the Welsh Government to support the embedding of the recommendations.

It is vital that we continue to promote and support the delivery of Welsh history in the new curriculum and enable our learners to become ethical and informed citizens of Wales and the wider world. It is important that young people are able to explore the diverse history of Wales, discover their heritage and understand the importance of the Welsh language, and develop their understanding of their cynefin.

December 3, 2022
Vaughan Gething – 2022 Statement on a Statutory Licensing Scheme for all Visitor Accommodation in Wales

The statement made by Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Minister for the Economy, in the Welsh Parliament on 15 November 2022.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to provide an update on the steps we are taking to help secure a sustainable and thriving visitor economy that supports and enhances communities across Wales. The visitor economy is rapidly changing, and the role of visitor accommodation presents major challenges for communities across the world. For example, the growth of online booking platforms has brought many benefits, such as new routes to market and increased consumer choice. However, we are aware of the concerns around compliance with existing requirements and the impact of short-term lets on housing stock and our communities.

Our plans to develop a statutory licensing scheme will be focused on levelling the playing field as part of a long-term response to the major challenges that we face. Our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru commits to a statutory licensing scheme for holiday lets as part of a package of measures to address the negative impact second homes and short-term holiday lets can have on the availability and affordability of housing for local people in our communities. In July of this year, the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru confirmed plans to introduce a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation, including short-term lets, making it a requirement to obtain a licence, with the aim of raising standards across the tourism industry.

Prior to that, and over the course of the past year, we have been exploring and engaging with stakeholders how such a scheme could work in Wales. Contractors were appointed to undertake this work last year and they conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders from local authorities, sector representative bodies and accommodation operators. They explored the benefits of such a scheme and the key considerations of how such a scheme could be taken forward and implemented here in Wales. A review of how other destinations globally approach such schemes was also taken into account. This initial work has shaped the consultation that the Government will look to be launching shortly.

But first, Dirprwy Lywydd, I’d like to outline the aims and proposed benefits of such a scheme. The primary aim is to establish a level playing field for all visitor accommodation businesses operating in the sector. The concern around the lack of a level playing field has been a long-standing area of discussion. Specifically, there are concerns that certain parts of the sector, for example informal short-term lets, do not meet or comply with their statutory obligations, whereas established, bona fide businesses do. A statutory licensing scheme could provide the mechanism to address this through requiring operators to evidence that they have certain requirements in place, such as the correct insurance, confirmation of planning status, evidence of fire-risk assessment, gas safety certificate, proof of electrical safety, to list a few examples. This scheme will help to ensure that there is a consistent standard that all operators should meet. Having a scheme where visitor accommodation businesses must meet a certain threshold of requirements conveys a very clear message to consumers that visitor accommodation businesses in Wales meet certain requirements on standards and safety.

A scheme would also give us enhanced intelligence—a comprehensive database, which is not currently available, of exactly who is operating in the industry. It is currently not possible to determine how many visitor accommodation businesses there are in Wales or in any given community. Understanding the scale and the nature of the sector will be an important tool in developing future policies at either a local or national level. Establishing a statutory database of licensed visitor accommodation businesses would give the Welsh Government and other partners, such as local authorities, a mechanism to communicate on key issues relating to the sector. We saw how challenging it can be to reach all parts of the sector through our recent experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also recognise that a statutory licensing scheme will provide an important foundation for other policy areas. Having the information provided by such a scheme will provide data on the scale and nature of our tourism offer to inform policy considerations, locally and nationally, around evidence-led management of second homes, holiday lets and developing the visitor economy and infrastructure. It could also support the collection of a visitor levy. For the visitor levy, having a licensing system would provide a comprehensive list of all visitor accommodation providers in an area. This could support the ongoing administration of the levy, as those who will require a licence will likely be the same as those who will be required to charge and collect a levy. There are clear links between these proposals, and I would encourage contributions to the 12-week visitor levy consultation, which closes on 13 December.

As I previously mentioned, in looking to establish a statutory licensing scheme, we’re also looking at similar mechanisms operational or in development across the world. In the UK, different approaches have been taken by our neighbours and are at different stages of development. In Northern Ireland, visitor accommodation providers must receive certification by Tourism Northern Ireland in order to operate, and this scheme has been in place since 1992. The Scottish Government has legislation in place requiring all short-term let hosts and operators to obtain a licence to operate, unless specifically excluded. Existing hosts and operators have until 1 April next year to apply for a licence in Scotland. And in England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently closed a call for evidence on the potential introduction of a tourist accommodation registration scheme. The purpose of the DCMS consultation is to better understand the benefits and challenges of the increase in short-term and holiday letting in England, and to gather initial evidence on the potential impact of a range of possible policy responses. There are other examples too, such as the compulsory schemes operating in the Isle of Man and in the Republic of Ireland. We’re looking to learn from these various examples, including what lessons can be learnt from the Rent Smart Wales model in terms of developing our own scheme.

Following a series of engagement sessions with key stakeholders over recent months, we will shortly be launching a formal consultation to seek views on the shape and nature of the proposed statutory licensing scheme here in Wales. Feedback on some of the aims underlying a proposed licensing scheme has been supportive, especially in relation to establishing a level playing field, developing better intelligence and increased consumer confidence. However, some concerns have been raised around the perceived regulatory burden that may accompany a licensing scheme. This includes the work involved in providing evidence of current use in relation to planning, and the role played by local authorities in meeting this demand.

Both the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru agree that a statutory licensing scheme offers the most robust mechanism for delivery in Wales, being an approach that sets a standard for visitor accommodation businesses to operate. However, the consultation will enable a range of views to come forward, including on the requirements of a licensing scheme. We’ll be seeking views on how such a statutory scheme could operate, be that nationally or at a local level, or a hybrid model combining elements of both. In addition, we’ll be looking to gather views on whether all visitor accommodation businesses should require a licence, or whether there should be any exceptions. We’ll also look to test how frequently licences should be renewed, and the licence fees that might need to be charged. In deciding on any fee structure, we are of course mindful of the pressures on businesses in the current climate.

We believe that most people would want to operate within the law, therefore one of the aims is to develop a scheme that will ensure a high level of voluntary compliance. However, proposals for compliance and enforcement measures, including penalties, to ensure fairness will be tested at consultation. We will be launching the consultation in December and will be encouraging our stakeholders to engage in the process. Diolch yn fawr. I’m happy to take questions.

December 3, 2022
Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on a Culture Strategy for Wales

The statement made by Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Deputy Minister for Arts & Sport and Chief Whip, on 15 November 2022.

Developing a Culture Strategy for Wales is a key Programme for Government and Co-operation Agreement commitment within my portfolio.

As Wales begins to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and at a time when people’s wellbeing and resilience is being adversely affected by rising costs of living and difficult financial forecasts, we must maintain a focus on those areas that make a positive difference to people’s everyday lives. We know that cultural and creative experiences are valued by the public, and that our arts, culture and heritage sectors contribute to personal wellbeing and community cohesion. I am pleased therefore to be able to share a short progress update on the development of a new culture strategy for Wales.

Working with Plaid Cymru designated members, we have agreed that the scope of the strategy will include arts, museums, libraries, archives, and the historic environment, and it will look at how we can best support and develop these sectors in Wales. The strategy should consider, but not be limited to, the role of culture and the arts in promoting positive health and wellbeing, equalities, lifelong learning and skills, supporting digital developments in Wales, the visitor economy, and the Welsh language, together with resilience building to enable effective recovery from the pandemic and delivery on the requirements of the Future Generations Act.

The Strategy will focus on how we can protect, conserve, and promote the arts, culture and historic assets and collections both now and for future generations. It will develop an inclusive, holistic approach to supporting our sectors and will have a focus on improving equitable access to and participation in all aspects of cultural life in Wales. It will also seek to enhance the close inter-operability of the arts, culture and heritage sectors, so they can collaborate more effectively, across sectors and in partnership with community groups and other stakeholders.

Following a recent procurement exercise, a lead partner has been appointed to work collaboratively with Welsh Government to produce a new strategy for publication in 2023.

Over the next few months, the contractor will undertake intensive research and engagement activity. This will involve working closely with partners across the arts, culture and heritage sectors, including but not limited to the four cultural sponsored bodies, Cadw, local sector organisations and people who work in these sectors on the ground. The contractor will also seek input from communities across Wales, especially those that are traditionally excluded or under-served.

The development of the strategy will be supported by an Overarching Steering Group, which will scrutinise and critically evaluate progress on the development of the strategy, providing conceptual thinking and informed challenge to Welsh Government as required.

My focus is on ensuring that the new strategy is innovative, ambitious and fit for purpose, and that it is a strategy that will be welcomed by the culture and heritage sectors and by the people of Wales. I will keep the Senedd informed of significant milestones as the work progresses.

December 3, 2022
Jeremy Miles – 2022 Statement on the Teachers’ Pay Award in Wales

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, on 14 November 2022.

I can announce today there will be an uplift of pay for our highly skilled and hardworking teachers in Wales.

On 21 July, subject to consultation with key stakeholders, I agreed in principle to accept all of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body’s recommendations for 2022/23 including an uplift of 5% to all statutory salary points on all pay scales and for all allowances from September 2022. I can confirm today that we will be accepting the Review Body’s recommendations.

The new starting salary for teachers will therefore be £28,866 and the salaries of more experienced classroom teachers will increase by £2,117 to £44,450. Additionally, all allowances will also be uprated by 5%.

I accept that some may be disappointed that a higher award could not be provided and recognise the legitimate right of all workers to seek a fair and decent pay rise during this challenging time of inflation and cost of living rises.

However, as additional funding has not been made available by the UK Government, we are not in a position to further address these issues over and above what has previously been considered. The Welsh Government’s budget will be worth £4bn less over the three years of the current settlement – £1.5bn lower next year. This is before the much touted further budgetary cuts the UK Government claims it will make imminently. Within this context, it is simply unaffordable, and would be irresponsible, to propose higher pay rises. We repeat our calls for the UK Government to finally do the right thing and act urgently to restore Wales’s budget so that we can support our public services.

Members will recognise that there is a huge amount of ongoing financial uncertainty.

In relation to future pay awards from September 2023, no compelling evidence was provided to alter my earlier proposal for the IWPRB recommendations to be kept under review and be used as a planning assumption, subject to such a review.

I also welcomed the IWPRBs recommendations on improvements to some key terms and conditions of teachers, notably in relation to remuneration of part-time teachers for TLR allowances; and the need to review the remuneration of ALNCos. I thank both employers and teacher unions for working alongside us on these matters to further improve terms and conditions for teachers in Wales. In particular, I welcome the agreed revisions to the required methodology for calculating TLR allowances for part time teachers which will improve the transparency and fairness for those part time teachers carrying out these roles from now on.

Consequently, I will today make the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Order 2022 which gives effect to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2022.

The pay award will be backdated to 1 September 2022. Timing of the implementation of the award will be a matter for employers. Initial discussions with local authorities have been positive, with the aim to arrange for back pay to be passed on as soon as possible, hopefully before the end of December.

Moving forward, I welcome the opportunity to continue to work together with stakeholders on a comprehensive review of the structure of teachers’ and leaders’ pay and conditions. This will provide us with further opportunities to improve and enhance the system and, where we can, make it fairer and more transparent for all teachers. Such partnership working will also help to promote teaching as a profession of choice for graduates and career changers.

December 3, 2022
Rebecca Evans – 2022 Statement on Council Tax Premiums in Wales

The statement made by Rebecca Evans, the Minister for Finance and Local Government in Wales, in the Welsh Parliament on 11 November 2022.

On 24 May 2022, I announced the next steps being taken by the Welsh Government, following our consultation on local taxes for second homes and self‑catering accommodation. These steps form part of our plans to ensure property owners make a fair contribution to the communities where they have homes or run businesses. This work, in turn, contributes to the Welsh Government’s three-pronged approach to addressing the impact that large numbers of second homes and holiday lets can have on communities and the Welsh language.

Following our consultation, the Welsh Government is of the view that properties let out as self-catering accommodation on an infrequent basis should be liable for council tax. We have therefore legislated to increase the number of days for which self-catering properties must be available to let or actually let in order to be classified as non‑domestic. The new letting criteria will apply from 1 April 2023 and will ensure that self-catering properties are classed as non‑domestic only if they are being used for business purposes for the majority of the year. We have also legislated to increase the maximum level at which local authorities can decide to apply council tax premiums to second homes and long-term empty dwellings to 300% from 1 April 2023.

I recognise the strength of feeling among self-catering operators in response to the changes and have listened to the representations from individual businesses and industry representative bodies. We have considered whether further measures are needed to accompany the changes to the local taxes.

The Welsh Government recognises that some self-catering properties are restricted by planning conditions preventing permanent occupation as someone’s main residence. The Council Tax (Exceptions to Higher Amounts) (Wales) Regulations 2015 were made to accompany the introduction of the discretionary powers for local authorities to apply council tax premiums and prevent specified types of second homes and long-term empty dwellings from being charged a premium. These regulations already provide for an exception from a council tax premium for properties restricted by a planning condition preventing occupation for a continuous period of at least 28 days in any one‑year period.

I am publishing today a technical consultation to invite views on the draft Council Tax (Exceptions to Higher Amounts) (Wales) Regulations 2023. The draft Regulations extend the existing exception to apply to properties with a planning condition which specifies that the property may only be used for short term holiday lets or which prevents their permanent occupation as a person’s sole or main residence. Such properties would become liable for council tax at the standard rate if they do not meet the letting criteria for classification as non-domestic property but they could not be charged a premium. This is consistent with our policy view that property owners should make a fair contribution to local communities either through local taxation or through the economic benefit they bring to an area.

It is intended the application date for introducing the extended exceptions will be 1 April 2023, in conjunction with the changes to the letting criteria and to the maximum council tax premium. It will therefore apply only to properties that become liable for council tax after 1 April 2023.

I am also publishing a consultation on the revised guidance on council tax premiums for long‑term empty dwellings and second homes. This includes additional options that are available to local authorities in the event that self-catering properties restricted by planning conditions do not meet the letting criteria.

The consultation on the draft guidance will run alongside the technical consultation for a period of 6 weeks. Responses are requested by 22 December 2022. All responses will be taken into account in considering any further developments.

As part of the Cooperation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, we are committed to taking immediate action to address the impact of second homes and unaffordable housing in communities across Wales, using the planning, property and taxation systems. As we continue to progress the package of measures and drawing on the latest evidence base, we will keep under constant review the range of levers available to use and how they may be deployed most effectively to meet our policy objectives and avoid unintended consequences.

December 3, 2022
Jeremy Miles – 2022 Statement on Student Loan Interest Rates in Wales

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, in the Welsh Assembly on 9 November 2022.

I made a statement on 5 September 2022 to confirm the intention to cap the interest rate charged to Welsh students on certain loans from September 2022 at 6.3% for a period of three months. This cap was also announced by the UK Government for English students.

I can now announce that the interest rate will be capped from 1 December 2022 for a further three months. The rate for these three months will be 6.5%.

The rate of inflation, which determines the interest charged on certain student loans, has risen significantly. Interest rates on these loans would have risen to up to 12% without the September cap. The Welsh Government must ensure that rates do not exceed the prevailing market rate and took action three times in 2021 to cap the rate on loans and protect students.

As prevailing market rates remain high, the rate on loans taken out by undergraduate students since 2012, and by postgraduate students, will be capped at 6.5% between 1 December 2022 and 28 February 2023. Further rate caps may be applied if the prevailing market rate continues to be below student loan interest rates after that date.

Changes to interest rates do not affect monthly student loan repayments, which are charged as a fixed proportion of income. Loan repayments are income contingent. Students repay their loan only if they earn above a threshold, and remaining debts are written off after thirty years.

Living costs should never be a barrier to studying at university, which is why the Welsh Government provides the most generous living costs grants in the UK. Welsh students have less to repay on average than their English peers. The Welsh Government also provides a debt write-off of up to £1,500 for each borrower entering repayment, a scheme unique in the UK.

November 10, 2022
Julie James – 2022 Statement on Responses to the Consultation for the Coal Tip Safety (Wales) White Paper

The statement made by Julie James, the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, in the Welsh Assembly on 9 November 2022.

Earlier this year I announced a consultation on the Coal Tip Safety (Wales) White Paper[1] which set out our proposals for a new tip safety regime in Wales. The aim of our proposals is to protect communities, critical infrastructure and the environment by introducing new rules on the appropriate management of tips to help reduce the likelihood of landslides.

The White Paper built on the recommendations made by the Law Commission in their report Regulating Coal Tip Safety in Wales[2] which was published on 24 March. The White Paper also included further analysis undertaken by the Welsh Government on areas not addressed in the Law Commission’s report or where it had recommended were for the Welsh Government to consider. The White Paper set out legislative proposals for the introduction of a new statutory management framework, which would provide a new consistent approach to the management, monitoring and oversight of disused tip and help mitigate the potential impacts from climate change.

The consultation closed on 4 August and I am pleased to publish a summary of responses today. I would like to extend my thanks for the valuable contributions provided by a wide range of individual stakeholders, companies, and organisations who responded to this consultation, and for the continued support and advice from our Task Force partners – the Coal Authority, Natural Resources Wales, local authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association.

I was pleased to see the significant support for the proposals set out in the White Paper with broad recognition of the need for an effective management regime to help ensure the safety of tips and address the risks they pose to communities and the environment.

Turning to the specific White Paper proposals, there was general agreement for an overarching framework suitable for both disused coal and non-coal tips, although the initial focus for the new regime will be on disused coal tips. This will allow incorporation of other disused spoil tips into the regime when appropriate through a phased transitional approach.

There was strong support for the proposal to establish a supervisory authority to oversee the new regime, ensure management arrangements are in place for the highest category tips and to compile and maintain a new national asset register. Respondents supported the proposal for the supervisory authority to be established as an arms-length Executive Welsh Government Sponsored Body. This will ensure the appropriate independence and focus on securing the safety of tips.

A new management framework must, of course, be premised on up-to-date data. There was broad support for the proposal to introduce a centralised national asset register comprised of uniform, and coherent and reliable data. I take on board the feedback from respondents to not underestimate the complexities and challenges associated with this work. This central register will build upon the data collection work already undertaken by the Coal Tip Safety Task Force. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to learn from others experience and look to utilise best practice where appropriate from existing comparable systems.

The White Paper set out proposals for a new national approach to the categorisation of tips which will be underpinned by a tailored hazard assessment for each site. The hazard assessment would account for the hazards a tip might pose to communities, property, infrastructure or the environment. There was broad support for these proposals, although I acknowledge the comments received on the recruitment shortages for suitable qualified or experienced assessors, and also the need to ensure appropriate training and guidance. We will continue to work with partners and key stakeholders on how we address these capability gaps. I am grateful to our Task Force partners for the ongoing close collaboration and engagement as we continue to trial hazard assessments and categorisations, and refine proposals for inspections, appraisals, management plans and maintenance agreements.

A key theme to emerge consistently in responses to the White Paper is the significant funding and resource requirements to establish and implement the new regime. There are also separate concerns around ensuring a disproportionate burden is not placed on tip owners. I acknowledge these points and commit to ensure transparency around costings as the legislation is developed. It is also worth reiterating there are many economic, social and environmental opportunities that might be gained from investing in disused tips, many of which are located in some of the most deprived areas of Wales.

Finally, there was broad support for the proposals for a two-tier monitoring approach with a proportionate approach to tip management based on the category of each tip. Respondents also recognised the need for appropriate powers of access to private land to enable inspections, maintenance works and spot checks to be undertaken. It was also accepted that civil sanctions would need to be an essential part of the regime with many views provided on how these could be developed. It was recognised the regime will only work effectively if there are appropriate measures in place to ensure compliance.

The responses to the consultation represent a valuable source of evidence and ideas which will help inform the development of our legislative proposals. Over the coming months, my officials will continue to engage with stakeholders as proposals for new legislation are fully developed.

In relation to the wider coal tip safety programme, the fifth round of inspections of the higher rated tips commenced in October and will run throughout the winter months. Despite the challenges in relation to evidence gathering, the coal tip data collation and analysis exercise is progressing and I remain committed to publishing the locations of disused coal tips in Wales. I will continue to keep Members updated.

[1] Coal Tip Safety (Wales) White Paper | GOV.WALES

[2] Law Com 406, 24 March 2022, Regulating-Coal-Tip-Safety-in-Wales-Report.pdf

November 10, 2022
Jane Hutt – 2022 Statement on Tackling Modern Slavery and Supporting Survivors

The statement made by Jane Hutt, the Welsh Minister for Social Justice, on 3 November 2022.

Modern slavery is a crime which causes incalculable harm and whose victims live in communities across Wales. Wales continues to fight this horrendous crime and support its survivors.

On Anti-Slavery Day (18 October), the Welsh Government stood in solidarity with people and organisations across Wales. Our Cathays Park building was lit red to show Wales continues to stand against all forms of slavery, and we supported a webinar organised by BAWSO. This included compelling and moving testimony from two modern slavery survivors. We are proud to support such events, recognising the vital impact they have in raising awareness of modern slavery and its effect on people.

To coincide with Anti-Slavery Day, the UK’s national standards body – BSI – launched a new British standard on modern slavery. My officials have already had initial discussions with BSI, and we will continue to engage with BSI on how we can promote and raise awareness of this standard amongst our networks in Wales.

Whilst modern slavery is a reserved matter, we have been consistent in the Welsh Government in using our levers and influence to work collaboratively and constructively with a range of partners so that we raise awareness of the risks and signs of modern slavery, tackle modern slavery wherever it exists, and provide support to survivors.

This work includes co-ordinating regular meetings of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group, which brings together multi-agency partners to provide leadership and coordination. We also continue to promote our Code of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply Chains, which supports organisations in eradicating modern slavery and labour exploitation from their supply chains. To date, more than 470 organisations are signatories to the Code.

We also seek to work constructively with the UK Government on the modern slavery agenda. However, we are concerned the recent political turmoil in Westminster is leading to delay in developing the new modern slavery strategy for England and Wales and in appointing a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner following the departure of the previous incumbent in April. We continue to press the UK Government on these matters and advocate for a victim and survivor-focused approach to modern slavery, in which safeguarding concerns are of primary focus.

November 7, 2022
James Davies – 2022 Speech on Menai Suspension Bridge Temporary Closure

The speech made by James Davies, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, in the House of Commons on 1 November 2022.

Diolch yn fawr, Mr Dirprwy Lefarydd. It is a pleasure to be at the Dispatch Box for the first time, particularly in relation to an important matter affecting north Wales. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Virginia Crosbie) on securing this debate, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Aberconwy (Robin Millar) and the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Jonathan Edwards) who have also contributed.

I know just how important Thomas Telford’s iconic Menai suspension bridge is to people and businesses on Anglesey and across the whole of north Wales. It is therefore right that we are having a debate on the sudden and unexpected closure of the bridge at 2 pm on Friday 21 October, since when all traffic has been diverted via the Britannia bridge, which—through the innovative design by Robert Stephenson and with some modifications since—carries the railway and main road traffic from the A55 north Wales expressway. Good connectivity between Anglesey and the mainland is crucial for the people and economy of north-west Wales, and the whole of the United Kingdom. The Government are committed to good connectivity, as evidenced by Sir Peter Hendy’s Union connectivity review.

I understand the concerns that local residents and businesses have about the disruption. This matters to them and it matters to Members of Parliament and the UK Government. As my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn made clear, the UK Government are not responsible for roads in Wales. Many aspects of transport, including the construction and maintenance of roads and road bridges, have been devolved matters for more than 23 years.

The Menai suspension bridge carries the old London to Holyhead trunk road, the A5, for which the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay are responsible. The closure of the Menai bridge was therefore a decision made by the Welsh Government. It was informed by the private company contracted by them to maintain the route, the UK Highways A55 Ltd, and their structural engineers who had concerns about the brittle nature of hangers installed in 1938. There are questions to be answered about the specification of the contracted maintenance schedule for the bridge and the stalled consideration of a third crossing of the Menai straits. Those concerns tie in with understandable frustration at the Welsh Government’s roads review, which has led to road projects across Wales having been put on hold since June 2021.

Good government does not coast along in neutral. In the immediate term, the Welsh Government should publish a timetable for the completion of repairs and the reopening of the bridge. That reassurance is the least that residents facing ongoing uncertainty while maintenance is carried out should receive. As a matter of urgency, I also urge the Welsh Government to allow access across the Menai bridge for emergency vehicles if that can be safely facilitated.

Robin Millar

I welcome the Minister’s remarks and I take the opportunity to welcome him to his place. It gives me great pleasure to see a north Wales Member restored to one of the offices of the Wales Office.

The Minister makes an important point when he talks about the ownership and operation of assets. In between what he has said about maintenance and a third crossing, however, there is a gap where Sir Peter Hendy’s review talked about the establishment of a UK-wide transport infrastructure network, and the ownership and investment into that. I do not think that anybody is saying—the Minister was not suggesting—that the bridge should not have been closed if that was required on safety grounds, but there is a question of capacity and resilience, how that is managed and where that planning can take place. Perhaps the capacity for that would lie in a UK-wide transport infrastructure network. Does he think that this road and that bridge would fit well within that characterisation?

Dr Davies

I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. He is right that this is a strategic route and a trunk road. The Union connectivity review highlights the importance of such roads. When the Government respond to that review, we need to consider his comments.

There is no emergency department in any hospital on the island of Ynys Môn and such facilities are located at Ysbyty Gwynedd on the mainland in Bangor, which is why emergency vehicle crossing is imperative. I urge Welsh Ministers at Cardiff Bay to improve access across the Menai bridge as soon as it is safe to do so to minimise disruption to residents and the economy.

I accept that maintaining the world’s first major suspension bridge with grade I-listed status poses challenges, but the Welsh Government are well funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities. They receive 20% more funding per person from the UK Government than is the case in England. At the 2021 spending review, the Government allocated an additional £2.5 billion a year on average to the Welsh Government over the period through the Barnett formula. That was on top of their annual £15.9 billion baseline. The Conservative Government therefore put in place the largest annual block grants, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since devolution.

I take the opportunity to remind hon. Members of the Government’s excellent record of investment in north Wales. We have provided £120 million for the north Wales growth deal as part of more than £790 million for city and growth deals across Wales. In addition, the levelling-up application submitted by my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd South (Simon Baynes) led to the awarding of £13 million towards the Pontcysyllte aqueduct world heritage site project. That was one of 10 Welsh projects that received a total of £121 million in round one of the levelling-up fund. A further £126 million has been allocated to north Wales through the UK shared prosperity fund as part of £585 million over the next three years. The shared prosperity fund is one of the successors to EU structural funding. The core UK Government allocation equates to a generous £150 per head for north Wales. These investments, plus the community renewal fund and the community ownership fund, demonstrate the UK Government’s commitment to Anglesey and north Wales as we continue to level up all parts of our country.

Residents will naturally remain as concerned as I am about the disruption caused by the closure of the Menai suspension bridge. I reassure them that connectivity is a priority for the UK Government. I thank hon. Members for this afternoon’s debate. I will write to the Welsh Ministers highlighting the concerns that have been raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn, along with the Government’s own observations, and urging the Welsh Government to reconsider long-term solutions to address the issues that have been underscored by the temporary closure of the Menai suspension bridge.

November 2, 2022