Morgan's legacy leaves recurring hangovers

Rhodri Morgan only left a short while ago, and now we find that civil service sleaze lingers on to affect Carwyn Jones' administration. WAG staffing has always managed to raise the odd eyebrow in the media, but when is someone going to take control of a problem that has been in the making since Rhodri's bonfire, nearly four years ago?

Welsh Assembly Government staff relocating to the Llandudno Junction base are to be given thousands of pounds of tax payers’ money in “disruption allowances”.

Staff who were employed by WAG on February 23 2005 and are in a post transferring to the new office will be eligible for the allowance, which ranges from £750 to £2,500.

Clwyd West MP David Jones has described the move as astonishing and is seeking an explanation from the Assembly.

The allowance is based on the distance of a WAG employee's current office from the new office in Llandudno Junction.

Six hundred staff are to be relocated to the new Assembly office, which is set to open this summer. They will be transferring from Colwyn Bay, St Asaph, Mold, Caernarfon and Cardiff.


Meanwhile, A source told the Western Mail: “All civil servants can claim this money, even if they live nearer the new office. For example, staff who work in St Asaph, but live in Colwyn Bay, Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno, Conwy or even Llandudno Junction itself, will be paid a £2,500 lump sum because they will no longer have to travel to St Asaph. It’s crazy.

“The other crazy thing is that the union has negotiated that it is 20 miles from St Asaph to Llandudno Junction. Why would they do this when it’s only 16 miles? The reason is that if the distance is only 16 miles, the civil servants will only get £1,500, but as they’ve agreed a figure of 20 miles it goes up to £2,500.”

The source added: “They’ve also agreed that Colwyn Bay is eight miles away from Llandudno Junction, so the staff there can claim extra allowances – it’s four miles at the most.

“This is public money. It may be within the rules – just like the MPs – but when we are coming out of the worst recession in living memory, with people who have lost their jobs being forced to travel miles extra for less pay and tough decisions having to be made in Wales due to the cut in funding from Whitehall, it’s sickening to think that hard working taxpayers are paying for this.”

A WAG spokeswoman explained: “The package for staff relocating to the new office in Llandudno Junction has been put together to recognise the impact the relocation will have on staff and their families.

“The allowance will vary depending on which office staff are currently based at.

“Allowances begin at £750 depending on the location of the office and up to £2,500 for offices further away in the North Wales region.”

The spokeswoman said the figure for the number of staff eligible for the allowance is not yet available.

An employee will need to pay the allowance back if they are no longer based at the new office within two years of it opening.

MP David Jones commented: “This is extraordinary news, and the Welsh Assembly Government has some serious explaining to do.

“In fact, some employees who presently work at St Asaph may even find it quicker and more convenient to commute to Llandudno Junction, yet they will still receive a minimum payment of £750.

“At such a difficult economic time, this is sending out the signal that WAG just doesn’t care about spending tax payers’ money prudently.

“Many people are feeling the pinch in the depths of this cold winter and will be rightly appalled.”
He added: “I will be contacting my colleagues in the Welsh Assembly and asking them to call WAG to account for this astonishing decision.”

Llandudno Junction councillor Mike Priestley was also shocked by the move.

He said: “If that’s their policy then it should be reviewed immediately.

“I can understand if employees are given a fuel allowance for the first few months if they have to travel longer distances, but giving out lump sums even if they live next door to the new office is ridiculous.

“The employees will leave the offices they are currently working in on a Friday and start at the Junction on the Monday. Where is the disruption in that?

“We are being told by the Government that we are all going to have to tighten our purse strings for the next decade.

“The Welsh Assembly should practice what it is preaching.”

Blast from the Past: Wigley on Morgan

Slow-retiring First Minister Rhodri Morgan made two big mistakes during his near decade in office, according to former Plaid Cymru president Dafydd Wigley.

In an article written for Ninnau, the North American Welsh newspaper that is largely complimentary about Mr Morgan, Mr Wigley singles out the scrapping of the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and the first NHS reorganisation as serious errors.

Mr Wigley stated:

To my mind, one of the decisions taken by Rhodri Morgan back in 2004 undermined
the process of securing economic renewal. He decided, with support from all four
parties in the National Assembly, to axe the WDA. This body, at arm’s length from government, had been leading the work to secure economic development.

Since 1975, wrote Mr Wigley, the WDA had gained for itself a very significant international reputation and a brand image that was helpful for Wales.

Many of us feel that it was a disastrous decision to abolish the WDA and to integrate its work into the civil service of the National Assembly. There are no two ways about it: this decision was down to Rhodri Morgan himself. He had been highly critical of the WDA’s lack of answerability over a couple of decades. That decision, to my mind, was fundamentally flawed and Wales will continue to pay the price until some similar structure is recreated.

Writing about what he sees as the other major mistake during Mr Morgan’s period in office, Mr Wigley stated:

The other disastrous decision was to create 22 Local Health Boards in Wales, a bureaucratic nightmare in a country of only three million people.

It is good that the Labour-Plaid coalition government has recently seen the folly of that decision and has replaced those 22 boards with a slimmed-down seven region structure which came into force in October this year.

Writing about the challenges facing the new First Minister, Mr Wigley states:

The new First Minister will have his or her time cut out in living up to the popularity of Rhodri Morgan. There will be huge economic challenges arising from the recession. The Assembly, as with all UK public sector bodies, will face a financial squeeze.

There will be tensions if, as expected, the next UK Government at Westminster is Conservative, with a very different agenda to that of the Labour-Plaid coalition in Wales.

All this will inevitably lead to calls for an early referendum to give the Assembly full parliamentary powers.

We are entering a new era of uncharted waters.

Expenses revisited: An eye for an eye

Assembly insiders are all the rage these days...The chairman of a panel that recommended big cuts in AM allowances ran up expenses of nearly £80,000 while chairing the Welsh Development Agency.

Sir Roger Jones chaired the WDA, whose role was to create jobs by attracting inward investment, from January 2002 until it was merged with the Assembly Government at the end of March 2006.

Details of Sir Roger’s expenses while he was at the WDA show that his claims totalled £78,800 during his time chairing the board.

More than £30,000 was spent on overseas air and rail travel, more than £14,000 on hotel accommodation, more than £11,000 on hospitality both in the UK and overseas, and £6,000 on taxi fares.

An Assembly insider said: “This is extremely embarrassing for Sir Roger and comes just days after it was revealed he claimed thousands of pounds in pay and expenses while undertaking a review on the same subject.

“Sir Roger has spent tens of thousands of pounds since 2001 on hospitality, travel and subsistence while chair of the WDA, you have to question whether this was money well spent. The annual figures from the WDA accounts show that in several years he was claiming a bigger annual salary than an AM, for what was a part-time role.

“His previous comments on AMs behaving like children in a sweet shop seem particularly hypocritical now.”

Some AMs [mainly Labour] are unhappy, if that's the most polite of descriptions, and you don't need to hang around Cardiff Bay's No. 1 restaurant to find that one out. Whether you agree or not, one commenter seems to give us food for thought.

Yes, this does seem a great deal of money, but what we must remember is that this amount covers a four year period. So please don't throw out the baby with the bath water use some common sense. Think of his job, and the amount it cost each year, then make your decision on whether he is overpaid or not.

Come in card number XXX [take your pick], your time is up

The civil service spending scandal contd.

As this news resulted from a Liberal Democrat freedom of information request, Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats had lot to say on the matter (slowing down a little, Western Mail - move your ar*e):

I am extremely concerned by the information I have seen. Every taxpayer in Wales deserves an explanation from the Labour-Plaid Government. While we’re in the middle of a recession, it’s disgusting to know that public officials are flying first class, staying in the most expensive hotels, eating in the best restaurants – all at the swipe of the Welsh credit card.

Of course we should sell Wales overseas, of course that costs money, but these figures suggest a runaway culture of credit card spending.

Ms Williams added:

One credit card holder spent nearly £70,000 in a year on air travel alone. Welsh taxpayers have paid the very luxurious Oberoi Hotel group in India £6,590 this year alone. Staff at the New York office spent £3,537.79 at Macy’s department store and £6,036 at Ikea. The Sydney office spent £5,722 on taxis.

At the same time we can see somebody claiming for 89p spent at McDonald’s in Swansea, and claims for coffees at Starbucks cafes all over the world. Every Welsh taxpayer deserves to see this document, just as they should see politicians’ expenses. It’s a lack of transparency that leads to the sorts of activity these worldwide credit card bills reveal.

Ms Williams called on the Assembly Government to explain why taxpayers’ money was being spent in this way.

The Minister for Economy and Transport has some serious questions to answer: What, if any, procedures are in place to monitor and police spending? What kind of guidance allows civil servants to take first class flights and live this superstar lifestyle? How can we be sure that all of this activity directly generates investment into Wales? Quite frankly, what on earth is going on and what will be done about this?

The spending details revealed included:

“Card Holder 181” (Hong Kong) spent nearly £22,000 in 12 months on luxurious hotels all around the word including cities like Tokyo, Sydney, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Cardiff, staying in hotels like the Hilton, the Oberoi, Westin, Grand Hyatt and the Ritz Carlton. The card holder also spent nearly £70,000 in 12 months on flights.

“Card Holder 708” (New York) spent £9,071.13 in various stores including Ikea, The Land of Nod (children’s bedroom furniture), Macy’s and West Elm (affordable modern furniture). They
are all soft furnishing stores. Card holders at the New York office, based in the Chrysler Building, spent over £3,500 at an Irish pub and Restaurant (‘Clancy’s’) just a few streets from the office building itself.

“Card Holder 314” (New York) spent £2,500 in the teen section of the famous Pottery Barn department store. PBteen is described as “a new catalogue in the Pottery Barn family.” The brand offers products in five key categories: furniture, rugs, lighting, bedding and accessories. PBteen includes hip, exclusively designed lifestyle collections bedrooms, study and lounge areas.

“Card Holder 450” (New York) spent £7,092.73 on air travel, £1,042.33 on taxis, £3,912.07 on hotels across the United States, £2,056.60 on food in restaurants across the US including high-end NewYork eateries. One example involved a bill of £599.42 in Margarita Murphy’s. The same card holder spent £347.11 at Duane Reade, a chain of drug and convenience stores in NewYork. In total, this card holder spent £17,265.71 over 12 months.

“Card Holder 459” (Dubai) spent £26,179.99 with Horizon Tours LLC, a tour operator, as well as £5,786.87 on hotels.

A spokesman for the Assembly’s top civil servant, Permanent Secretary Dame Gillian Morgan, said: “Any claim incurred on behalf of the Assembly Government must fully comply with strict authorisation and audit requirements.

Given the global nature of their role, International Business Wales (IBW) staff based overseas need to travel to pursue every viable business opportunity. Over the past few years, the number of offices in America and South East Asia has been reduced, and officials now cover a number of countries from their base. While this has led to a significant reduction in the cost of offices, it has inevitably led to an increase in travel associated costs.

However, we are clearly aware of the need to restrict any expenditure to ensure absolute value for money, and overall travel and subsistence costs for IBW are over 30% below the level incurred by the former WDA.

IBW exists to attract job-creating investment from around the world to Wales. It also supports Welsh companies in winning overseas business. Just this year alone, IBW has organised 37 trade missions for Welsh companies, including the recent successful trade mission to Washington DC which was attended by 80 companies from Wales.”

As we have proved with the recent first Ashes Test in Wales, it is essential that we seize every opportunity to raise our profile and generate business opportunities for Wales – particularly during the current global recession

Without demonstrating what may or may not have been achieved for money spent... cost... £750k.

Laying claim to the recent success in staging the first Ashes Test in Wales... cost... priceless cheek.

Blaming the level of credit card bills on a 'necessary expenditure' without evidence of any real benefit, and backing it up with 'it's lower than what the WDA would've spent' ...cost... PRICELESS AND SPEECHLESS.

Welsh Assembly Government: Money for old rope

Couldn't help but post on news that has proved me, and many others right when posting back in October 2008.

The new civil service layer of Director General civil servants have now been appointed in the Welsh Assembly Government. As previously mentioned, this is part of the new Permanent Secretary's [Gillian Morgan] managment structure, which does have some merits and has seen some backing of those higher up and lower down in the Cathays Park food chain.

But of these new posts that bring an ample award of around £130,000 a year, three have rather strangely (hint of sarcasm identified) gone to internal candidates, some of who it has to be said are not exactly showered in management praise and glory. For some unknown reason a £55,000 + recruitment exercise has ended up employing three people already employed internally at the next grade down in the senior civil service [Head of Department].

One appointment does disturb me slightly.

Civil Servants are not perfect, but to appoint a man who has masterminded and single-handedly steered the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government towards a largely disappointing performance management system; the ASPB merger which led to unequal status among civil servants of the same grade; not to mention equal opportunities and other fiascos (take your pick), is largely a disgraceful act.

It is generally agreed among staff that Human Resources policy has been a disaster and particularly since 2006 - in short, a disaster since appointment. If this was a newspaper headline it would read, "Overall Head of Recruitment Gets Recruited". Surprise!

If it wasn't for my planned family holiday, this unwelcome news of neo-nepotism would have me sick to my Welsh core.

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced the appointment of new Director Generals and a Non Executive Director to its new senior management board - known as the Strategic Delivery and Performance Board.

Clive Bates (aged 47) is currently Head of the United Nations Environment Programme in Sudan and has been appointed Director General for Sustainable Futures.

Christine Daws is being promoted from her current post as Director of Finance to the Welsh Assembly Government to the new Finance Director General position.

Emyr Roberts will take up the post of Director General for Public Services and Local Government Delivery. He is currently Director of the Department for Social Justice and Local Government and has extensive experience which includes a period as Chief Executive of the Welsh European Funding Office.

Bernard Galton has been appointed as Director General for People, Places and Corporate Services following five years as Director of HR at the Welsh Assembly Government and a long career as an HR professional, primarily within the Ministry of Defence.

James Turner will replace Sir Adrian Webb as a Non Executive Director. Mr Turner has had an international business career and joined the Welsh Development Agency in the mid 1990’s as International Managing Director. Ten years ago, he established his own consultancy business undertaking board-level interim assignments and in this capacity was interim Chief Executive at the Arts Council of Wales during 2007. An experienced Non Executive Director, James Turner has served on the boards of a number of private companies and public sector organisations.

The appointments follow a tough recruitment process involving external assessors and complete the new, smaller and more focused Strategic Delivery and Performance Board which Permanent Secretary Dame Gillian Morgan announced in October 2008.

Gill Morgan said:
I’m really pleased to have completed recruitment to this new, smaller Board with the appointment of very high calibre people. I believe a smaller senior team will help us reduce complexity in the organisation and make it easier for us to join up across portfolios. Now more than ever we need to be able to support Ministers in tackling the things that make the most difference to the people of Wales.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said:
My warmest congratulations to Emyr and Bernard. Their appointments complete a line-up of strong management serving the Welsh Assembly Government through the challenging times we face.

The new Board will be in place by the beginning of April. Chaired by the Permanent Secretary, the Board will include six Director Generals (DGs), together with the Chief Executive of the NHS.

The changes will be accomplished within existing resources and there will be no additional cost to the organisation's running cost budget.

Final words ringing in deaf ears

Before Sir Jon Shortridge retired from his position as Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government [April 2008] he had a few words to share with staff:

Since I became Permanent Secretary, we have worked hard to become more responsive to democratic political leadership, more focused on delivery and more dynamic in the way we operate. This has been underpinned by strong governance and there has never been any significant criticism of our organisation for the way in which we have spent public money or undertaken our responsibilities.

As was explained by one observer at the time, "Spending time with your head in the sand is not marginally better than with it up your own ar*e".

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Priority Talent Pool not just a thing of the past

TAXPAYERS are bankrolling an invisible army of civil servants in Whitehall who have no jobs but still draw a salary.

Up to £1million a week is spent supporting the ghost jobs of more than 1,700 redundant workers who are placed in a Priority Talent Pool and keep getting paid until a plum new post comes up.

Despite Gordon Brown’s declaration of war on Whitehall waste the number of phantom employees has trebled in a year, pushing the total annual bill for taxpayers to £50million.

The admission from ministers comes as Britain slides into recession, thousands of workers in the private sector are being laid off every week and millions more are worried about their jobs.

Give the Assembly Government some credit where it's due with its 'first-to-do' culture. They were the first to do this. At least the UK Government has the decency to call it a 'Priority Talent Pool' and not just a 'Central Postings Pool'. The Assembly could learn a little from positive spin, but not much.

Sink or swim for Civil Service in Llandudno

Llandudno, Queen of the Welsh Resorts, a title first implied as early as 1864 is awaiting the birth of a regional office of the Welsh Assembly Government. First Minister Rhodri Morgan recently [some might say, finally] announced the intended contractor for construction of the new office in Llandudno Junction [to pacify the good people of North Wales by bringing democracy closer to the people].

Construction activity will start as quickly as possible and aims to be completed by spring 2010. This will be followed by a period of internal fit out of furniture and ICT prior to the building being occupied summer 2010.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said:

Everyone including myself will be genuinely excited by this announcement and know that this is the positive news that people have been waiting for. It is our intention at this stage, subject to the outcome of the standstill period, for the contract to commence on 20 October 2008.

The decision to re-procure the contract will be fully justified due to the improvements made and the demonstrable value for money achieved. I am unable to say more at this stage due to European Union procurement regulations but will make a further announcement at the end of the standstill period.

The new building will provide approximately 8,800 square metres of mainly open plan office space, and will accommodate up to 650 staff.

Some readers might remember my post on the first anniversary propaganda of the opening of the Merthyr Office. The situation is more or less the same, but over a greater distance for staff, and some of you will remember my post "Llandudno will be the Cardiff of the North" from 11 months ago.

Most of the staff are not keen to move from their various offices spread across North Wales, never mind those jobs that have been 'transferred' [uprooted] from Cardiff. When I say transfer, I mean the actual job transferring, and the person staying behind in Cardiff if they are not up to commuting or happy with the upheaval of their family across country. A kind of special Welsh job creation, only with one person left in desk limbo in Cardiff for as long as it takes, and the other [often newly recruited] having to step into the breach for the person in limbo.

On top of this, staff in Caernarfon are becoming fed up with management promises. Both Assembly Government management and politicians have consistently stated that the future of the Rural Payments Division is safe, without actually stating what this means. This brings back bad memories of promises made prior to the closure of the Ruthin Office, and of life prior to the bonfire of the quangos.

This has prompted Rural affairs Minister Elin Jones to meet with management and the union.

Back in the pool for some. Straight to the deep end for others.

Two years since Rhodri's ‘bonfire’ - Was it all worth it?

This blog is always eager to report and share its opinion on what's regarded as the reckless abolition of Welsh quangos, in what was seen at the time as a 'personal vendetta' by Rhodri Morgan; and the ups-and-downs in the Welsh Assembly Government civil service.

The latest news in the Western Mail raises concerns - again - regarding wasted millions in surplus staff that were made by Alun Cairns AM back in October 2007 . It is that nearly two and a half years after a trio of quangos were “merged” with the Assembly Government, 89 members of staff have still not been allocated permanent jobs.

Last night politicians said it was “ludicrous” that nobody had been made redundant as a result of the mergers.

The Welsh Development Agency, the Wales Tourist Board and the training body Elwa were abolished in April 2006 in Rhodri Morgan’s “Bonfire of the Quangos”.

Around 1,600 people were working for the three bodies at the time the mergers were announced in 2004, but an agreement was reached with unions that compulsory redundancies were to be avoided.

That led to the setting up of a “Central Postings Pool” for displaced former quango employees who had yet to be found a permanent role within the Assembly Government.

It has now emerged that this week there were 89 people still in the pool – although officials were quick to point out that people were coming into and leaving the pool all the time.

Prezza

The Western Mail today dutifully reports John Prescott's promotional book tour date in Cardiff. Curiously there is no mention of two of Prezza's comments that had more direct relevance to Wales.

Firstly, and not surprisingly, he hailed the whole devolution project as a success and said that moving power close to the people should be a core Labour principle. The English regions, he said, would probably receive devolved government and that he hoped it would come within 20 years but not at the expense of the UK.

Almost as an aside he mentioned the virtues of regional development agencies and how having development outside the civil service was quite effective. Perhaps Wales could consider doing this. Such an organisation would need a name to capture the essence of its functions. How about 'the Welsh Development Agency'?

Senedd Circular: Tea and Crumpet with the First Minister

This article appears in The Wardman Wire:

This week, Miss Wagstaff is both delighted and appalled by her seeming to have lost a week. We can blame Parliamentary Recess, Pippa’s time keeping, or the rumour that the Welsh Assembly Government has banned her blog internally.

Either way, although always partial to a bit of mother-son bonding during recess, it has been a sight for sore eyes to see the Head Boy [Rhodri Morgan] back in school this last week and laying out his plans for all to see. Eagerly assisted by the School Prefects [Cabinet] - after nine months in coalition government - ‘One Wales’ Delivery Plan has been announced, listing pledges made by the coalition government and complete with a detailed easy-to-follow timetable for Jo public. The downside is that some have experienced difficulty in making up their minds as to how many commitments have been made.

This aside, while Pippa was away, another historic occasion has occurred [no connection] as the Queen approved the transfer of new powers to the Welsh assembly in a ceremony at Windsor Castle. The order allows the assembly to draw up Welsh laws to help people with additional learning needs. A further nine orders are in the Assembly-Parliament pipeline, on issues ranging from mental health services to fire safety, however, the process still receives a large amount of criticism from the Welsh Conservatives as being too complicated and should be simplified. Meanwhile, Plaid’s trio are chomping at the bit to help the process along, but seem to have fallen at the first fence. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t think long-term in politics, and are left grazing instead of experiencing pastures new.

Senedd Snippets:

• When to cull and when to kill.
• Welsh Assembly Delivers to your doorstep.
• Tea and Crumpet with the First Minister.

When to cull and when to kill

One look at this headline and you’d be forgiven for thinking it referred to the bold attempt at making ‘difficult decisions’ by the One Wales Government over its pilot badger cull [braver than the pilot a free laptop plan for school children]. It was expectedly welcomed by farmers, but faces fierce opposition from conservationists, and many are also expecting heated debates over the issue from within the Assembly, though the government is confident of winning the vote otherwise it would have reserved its judgement.

A former cull has come back to haunt the government this week in the form of the merger of Quangos with the Welsh Assembly Government. The Welsh Development Agency, Wales Tourist Board and Elwa [education] were abolished two years ago. It was estimated that the changes would save the assembly government £10m a year from 2009. Regarded as a "bonfire of the quangos", this action brought responsibility of the quangos under direct ministerial control.

Questions were raised pre-merger, and former executive chair of the largest quango in terms of its turnover [ELWa], has recently spoken out, saying that she was not surprised with the report's findings, "I think at the time you couldn't predict all of the implications and the outcomes, so it doesn't surprise me that some of the predicted cost savings haven't materialised,"

The assembly's Audit Committee have said the savings seemed to be financial cuts rather than efficiency gains, and reports that there are still ongoing issues – an issue that is likely to outlive Morgan’s administration.

Welsh Assembly delivers to your doorstep

The much awaited Delivery Plan of the coalition government has now been announced, and nearly one year into the Assembly’s four year term.

Following on from this week’s introductory paragraph, Rhodri Morgan [Labour] and Ieuan Wyn Jones [Plaid Cymru] insisted their coalition government was on track. Returning from Easter recess, they both read out their “It’s a coalition but it’s one administration” government’s list of priorities for the remainder of the term. Another bold step to take this week, and one for the Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Liberal Democrats to get their teeth into, after the Conservative leader of the Opposition in the Assembly’s response of, “Yet more glossy propaganda at our expense…”

Tea and Crumpet with the First Minister

A Welsh Labour local government election broadcast has been made on television. This focussed on Rhodri Morgan reaching out to the public from text messages sent to him by members of the public suggesting what policies the Assembly Government should pursue. The broadcast showed the First Minister [man of the people] meeting with three of the texters to discuss their ideas...

Rhodri's Text Life

The First Minister received 237 text replies from an earlier political broadcast in February. Among the topics covered were tackling graffiti, curbing youth drinking, addressing general youth anti-social behaviour, council tax rates, cleaner streets, more cycle routes and better recycling.

Assuring us that their words have not fallen on deaf ears, Rhodri Morgan goes on to comment, “I heard their views loud and clear and will do my very best to see how we can meet their aspirations.”

This reminded me of an anonymous email I received a month ago about a former initiative within the civil service, whereby the Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Assembly Government would invite selected staff to a ‘Tea and Biscuits Session’ in order to discuss issues of the day e.g. Admin grades invited to discuss what problems they face while conducting their daily duties. Much seen as an internal public relations exercise at best, it’s comforting to know that initiatives are regenerated, and an opportunity not wasted.

On the other hand of the coalition [to be determined whether it’s a left or right hand], Plaid Cymru followed up these broadcasts with their own ‘man of the people’ image for their leader - Ieuan Wyn Jones was seen comfortably handling members of the public as they interrupt his making of a Plaid-rousing speech to those on the other side of the box.

And finally…

With the run up to the local government election and expected ‘Column Special’, the Welsh public will be stunned into silence (surely not!) by the recent statement that, “Councillors are not getting younger” [average age of councillors is still 61 in the 10 local authorities surveyed four years ago. Across Wales it is 40, while 40% of councillors are over 65]; and possibly even less so by Wales having just elected its first Communist councillor since the 1970s.

Something seems to have stirred the Liberal Democrats into accusing Labour of trying to manipulate the electoral system as the party was worried about doing badly in the council elections on May 1. That particular stirrer was Minister Brian Gibbons, provoking a debate on the future of Wales’ 22 unitary authorities by threatening to cut their number if they don’t perform.

Only at election time. Only in Wales!!??

Education: When do we get down to business?

This is my third post in recent weeks on education, so it must be a subject that's close to my heart.

Uncertainty is dwelling in the hearts of the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills* in this new year. There is a structural redevelopment project currently underway in that department that is due to make its impact early this year and staff are waiting with baited breath.
.

Staff are concerned that some of their jobs are not safe and wonder what the outcome will be as a result of a job evaluation exercise which has been published recently. Many staff have experienced this uncertainty since early 2007 and feel unsettled as a result of this further structural redevelopment to the department.

In addition to restructuraling the dynamic of the department, there's an overwhelming plan to reduce the number of staff since the 'Bonfire of the Quangos', and it is estimated that this project will result in a reduction of about 40 to 50 posts within the Education Department.

Change is constant, and restructuring is all very well - but two such restructuring projects since the announcement of the merger beggars belief. Miss Wagstaff argues a need to get down to business and an end to this constant handling of only the day-to-day running of a department. Staff are worried, and more importantly, parents are worried about education in Wales. Presumably this is all down to there having been an ineffective restructuring programme carried out first time round.

How many other departments have needed further restructuring? How has this affected the organisation? Have staff woke up to lessons learned? Who's to blame? How much has it cost in terms of project work, consultancy, and lack of delivery?

Meanwhile, Steve Marshall, Welsh Assembly Government Director of Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills is leaving in March 2008 to take up a new appointment in Canada.

What's the official response?

The First Minister said:

Since coming here just over two years ago to head up Education in Wales from a similar job in the State of South Australia, Steve has made an enormous contribution to education in Wales. His fresh approach and wealth of international experience have laid the foundations for a first-class education system that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. From our youngest learners in the Foundation Phase, through to skills development for young people and adult learning, Steve has superbly led the delivery of our Made in Wales policies superbly well. It is a sad fact of life that if you appoint an international high flyer in running your Education Department, there is always the risk that someone else will also recognise these talents and offer him an even bigger job, as has happened with Ontario having 13 million people compared to Wales’ 3 million. We wish him and the world of education in Ontario all the very best wishes.

The Permanent Secretary said:

I would like to thank Steve for leading the Department for Children, Education and Skills with great dynamism and vigour. We have all benefited from having someone with Steve’s outstanding educational expertise and leadership and management skills working for us.

Education Minister Jane Hutt said:

Steve has been a great asset for education in Wales and his new appointment reflects the recognition he has worldwide in the education field. Before his departure, he will be spearheading the launch of our school effectiveness programme across Wales which will stand us in good stead to take forward these important tri-level reforms. I would like to wish him well in his exciting new post in Canada.

Miss Wagstaff said:

[speechless]

*This department became a 'super' department since the merger of the education Quangos with the Education Department of the Welsh Assembly Government in April 2006 and has since undergone two major restructuring programmes.

Freedom of Information: Pitfalls of Open Government

As the South Wales Echo reports: WHAT WE’VE UNCOVERED THANKS TO FoI

ERRORS Huge number of defects discovered in the first 12 months of the Senedd’s opening.

GRAVY TRAIN Hospitality spending by the former Welsh Development Agency rocketed by a staggering 67 per cent in five years.

JUNKETS A breakdown of the near- £200,000 bill run up by Welsh Assembly Government at the Ryder Cup in Ireland in 2006.

SENEDD AMs had run up a tea and refreshments debt of £2,000.

FOOD AND DRINK Last year we revealed that visitors would have to pay three times more than AMs for refreshments at the Senedd.

Update: WAG puts a price cap on inquiries - They must be fed up with all those requests from the Western Mail and South Wales Echo that are made on our behalf.

Inequality at the Assembly

The BBC reported yesterday on research commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2005, in relation to equal opportunities.

Summed up:

• 37 people from an ethnic minority background applied for jobs at the assembly government in the last financial year out of more than 1,200 applicants.
• Just one ethnic minority employee was recruited by the Welsh Assembly Government in the whole of the last financial year.
• There were also only two promotions of workers from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• Many groups including ethnic minority groups had the perception that the organisation did not provide career opportunities for them.
• The pay gap between men and women working for the Welsh Assembly Government has gone from 3.8% to nearly 11%.

As an organisation, the Welsh Assembly Government should be setting the standard within Wales and have fallen short on all counts. Opposition parties have called this deeply worrying and disappointing.

In a desperate attempt to spare the blushes of Jane Hutt, an assembly government spokesperson said that applicants from ethnic minority groups had risen from 2.1% in 2005-06 to 3.7% in 2006-07. This reflected work that had been done to raise awareness of the assembly government as an employer among ethnic minority groups, the spokesperson added.

The increasing pay gap between men and women within the government was due, said a spokesman, to a relatively large number of male civil servants transferring from old quangos like the Welsh Development Agency.

Having made a couple of telephone calls this morning, I can reveal that everything is back in order.

Not only has a woman (and a black woman at that) been working for Rhodri Morgan (Office of the First Minister) for some time, but also the next Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Assembly Government will be Welsh-born, as opposed to someone drafted in from outside Wales as usual.

The message from this is 'Onward and Upward', but with tongue firmly planted in cheek from this young lady.