Waiting lists and bureaucracy

While the Assembly Government continues to wrestle with the Wales Office over housing and its many issues, it falls to a local government - Cardiff Council - to take a more common sense approach to housing issues in the capital city.

A single application process for waiting lists has been developed by the council, in partnership with eight housing associations. Just one form now needs to be filled out by anyone looking for housing in the city. This is then entered into a single database which is used by both the council and all housing associations involved. The new common waiting list is administered by the council on behalf of itself and the housing associations and currently has in excess of 6,000 applicants. In total the new waiting list, which covers social landlords, has over 22,000 properties.

Executive Member for Housing Councillor Judith Woodman said, "This has been a long process and has been developed in partnership with all local Housing Associations. It has created a service which makes sense to everyone and probably none more so than those applying for social housing. "I believe the new common waiting list brings common sense to a system so many of our citizens rely on."

Elis-Thomas: Time to accept constructive criticism

Catching up with the news, the Western Mail reports on the National Assembly’s Presiding Officer has fired a broadside at an all-party group of MPs, accusing them of misrepresenting the facts about the making of new Welsh laws.

In a letter to Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, Lord Elis-Thomas, pictured, says claims by members of the Welsh Affairs Committee that they are in danger of being “swamped” by legislative proposals coming from the Assembly are groundless.

Since last year, the Assembly has been able to seek permission from Westminster to make its own laws in defined areas. Permission is granted in the form of Legislative Competence Orders (LCOs) passed by both Houses of Parliament. Prior to approval, draft LCOs are considered by the Welsh Affairs Committee.

In a recent memorandum to Mr Murphy from the committee, MPs suggested the number of LCOs coming through from the Assembly could prove unmanageable. Now Lord Elis-Thomas has intervened to “set the record straight”.

In a letter sent to Mr Murphy on Friday, he refers to the allegation made by the committee that the system is being swamped, stating: “This conclusion, which has attracted much publicity, is, in my opinion, clearly contrary to the evidence actually set out in the memorandum itself.

“The Assembly acquired its new legislative powers on May 25 2007. During the first 12 months following that date, seven proposed LCOs were laid before the Assembly, five of which were proposed by the Assembly Government and two by backbenchers. As the memorandum itself makes clear, only four of these proposed Orders have as yet been referred to the Welsh Affairs Committee.

Or was it entirely constructive, and part pantomime politics?

Tory plans for Welsh Office

Cheryl Gillan, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, recently revealed Tory plans for the Welsh Office. The Western Mail reported her saying she thought Wales needed a “loud voice”.

She said: “I think the role should exist and I would argue the case for it because I think Wales needs a strong voice at Cabinet level. If you’re suggesting they get rid of Gwynfor House and downgrade Wales in any way, I would be disappointed."

Welsh 'laws': Quality, not quantity needed

Both the BBC and the Wales Online have run stories today about the concerns of Welsh MPs when it comes to legislative proposals from the National Assembly.

The Welsh Affairs select committee say 11 proposed legislative competence orders (LCOs) risk swamping the system, when they expected only four or five.

The assembly's limited powers for more laws, under review by Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, must win the MPs' backing.

It warns of a “logjam” and says the Assembly and the Wales Office should aim to produce “a reasonable number of high-quality Orders each year rather than allowing volume to swamp the system here and in the Assembly as seems to be happening at the moment”.

It seems the underlying message is QUALITY not QUANTITY when it comes to the Assembly's proposals.

A quick quiz

Spot the odd logo out on this advert.

Eagle-eyed quizzers will notice that with not much fanfare the Wales Office is now a part of the UK Ministry of Justice, which handles constitutional affairs. This indicates a new recognition of the importance of Wales to the UK Government, maybe it sees Scotland as partially a lost cause. This could also mean that a single nations and regions department may be created in the near future or at least the medium-term.

Update: Paul Murphy is also reputedly going to chair a committee on local government and regional matters in England. Can we expect a ministry for the UK regions soon?

Paul Murphy: Steady as he goes...

Paul Murphy is our man in London from today, and someone out there has been busy updating Wikipedia all day, on his behalf.

Paul Murphy originally became Secretary of State for Wales on 28 July 1999, until appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 24 October 2002 to 5 May 2005. On leaving government he became chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Born in 1948 in Usk, Gwent, Paul Murphy was educated at St. Francis RC School, Abersychan, West Monmouth School at Pontypool and Oriel College, Oxford. He began his career as a management trainee with the CWS and later became a lecturer in Government and History at Ebbw Vale College of Further Education.

He was a member of Torfaen Borough Council from 1973-87 and became MP for Torfaen in 1987. In Opposition he was Shadow Spokesman on Welsh Affairs (1988-94), Northern Ireland (1994-95), Foreign Affairs (1995) and Defence (1995-97). After the 1997 Election he was appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office with specific responsibility for Political Development. Following the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement he was appointed a Privy Councillor in the 1999 New Year Honours.

Welcome back Paul!

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Miss Wagstaff will be expecting all future reference to LCOs - by the media - to be referred to as 'Murphy's Law'.

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Update 1: David Cornock (BBC) reminds us how opinions can change when you have responsibility.

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Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones (2001):

Paul Murphy is clearly out of touch with the growing feeling in Wales, and within his own party in the National Assembly. Those of us who have to work within the current settlement see its obvious flaws and a growing number of Labour AMs are coming out to support a law-making Parliament, because they are frustrated at the Assembly's failure to deliver in key policy areas. Paul Murphy and the 'dinosaur tendency' in the Labour Party are being left behind in this debate.

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones (2008):

I welcome Paul Murphy's appointment and look forward to working with him. His role will be pivotal in steering the Welsh Assembly Government's bids for the right to legislate through Westminster and in working with us to deliver the One Wales programme of Government.

Update 2: Job separation - It seems what's good enough for Wales isn't good enough for Scotland.

Christmas Cheer from Mr Veneer

If you've ever found yourself having a difficult year and can't wait for it to be over, just remember Peter Hain at Christmas time. With more troughs than peaks in 2007, and an eagerness to look forward to 2008, there's only one way to deal with life - remember the good times - put a spin on it - and forget the bad times.

The part-time Secretary of State for Wales has put out his Christmas and New Year message which has also been covered by the Western Mail this morning.

Highs include:

• His other Cabinet job, at Work and Pensions, had allowed him to deliver some “Christmas cheer” for former steelworkers at ASW in Cardiff, who will now have 90% of their lost pensions restored.
• For 2008, I have already announced we will see a radical shift from passive to active benefits in the welfare system, to achieve full employment and help eradicate child poverty,” he said.
• Referring to the decision announced in January to build a huge defence training facility in St Athan, he said, “This massive boost for the Welsh economy is another example of the strong partnership working between Cardiff and London and shows Wales has a world-beating team that can compete at the highest levels.”
• Celebrating anyone and everyone Welsh.

Lows include:

• Take your pick from any blog or national and local newspapers in 2007.

Sometimes Christmas comes early. At other times you have to wait until 25 December.

Merry Christmas!

National Assembly needs to do its homework

Wearing his other hat as part-time Secretary of State for Wales, Peter Hain MP, was in the chamber of the Senedd yesterday afternoon to address the Assembly on the Queen's Speech.

Mr Hain rejected claims Westminster was blocking some proposals, but said it should be able to "probe their basis".

Addressing the assembly on the Queen's Speech, he also insisted it would be "disastrous" to lose a referendum on law-making powers for Wales.

Mr Hain said he backed the Labour-Plaid coalition but building consensus on powers would "take time". Plans for a referendum on assembly powers are central to the One Wales deal which formed the basis of the coalition between the two parties after the election.

Calling for a "mature relationship between Wales and Westminster", Mr Hain said:

Parliament cannot rubber stamp or let anything through 'on the nod'... We have no desire to meddle in future policy developments, which are the prerogative of the Welsh Assembly Government and the assembly... But it is an important principle that Parliament and Whitehall departments are allowed to probe the basis of legislative requests, and that in doing so are not presented as 'unreasonable' or 'obstructive.

This must have felt like a personal message for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills Minister, Jane Hutt AM, who was Minister for Business 2005-07, and should know better. This left me with the thought that there was an underlying message of, "DO YOUR HOMEWORK"