The Welsh Assembly began a review of high levels of economic inactivity in Wales, and of the policies to raise economic activity levels being pursued by the Welsh Assembly Government and other agencies.
Source: Raising Levels of Economic Activity, National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Background paper (pdf) | Consultation letter (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report said that Wales s devolution settlement had left it at a disadvantage in formulating innovative economic policies to deal with the loss of manufacturing jobs, when compared with Scotland. The claim was rejected by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Source: John Osmond (ed.), Second Term Challenge: Can the Welsh Assembly government hold its course?, Institute of Welsh Affairs (029 2057 5511) and Constitution Unit/University of London | Press release 25 November 2003, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: IWA press release | WAG press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A report argued that there was no central focus or organisation to bring the different parts of the Welsh public service groups together.
Source: Stephen Prosser, Development of a Welsh Public Service, Institute of Welsh Affairs (029 2057 5511)
Links: IWA press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A progress report was published on the Welsh Assembly Government s 'skills and employment action plan'. The plan was launched in February 2002, aimed at increasing the supply of, and demand for, skilled jobs. There was an increase in the employment rate of 4.2 percentage points over the year to July 2003, and a fall of 54,000 in the number of economically inactive people.
Source: Skills and Employment Action Plan for Wales: Progress report, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A paper examined whether devolution had created a 'laboratory of opposition' in Wales to the market orthodoxies of the Labour government, particularly in the field of public services reform.
Source: Steve Davies, Inside the Laboratory: The new politics of public services in Wales, Catalyst, available from Central Books (020 8986 4854)
Links: Paper | Catalyst press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A draft Bill was published setting out proposals to unify the audit scrutiny of Welsh public bodies (including the National Assembly) in a single audit body to be known as the 'Wales Audit Office' ('Y Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru'). It would bring together the existing functions of the Auditor General for Wales and most of the functions exercised by the Audit Commission in Wales.
Source: Draft Public Audit (Wales) Bill, Cm 5796, Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: No link
Date: 2003-Feb
A study of employment discrimination cases in Wales found that there were too few sources of advice for people seeking redress through the tribunal process, and described Wales as an 'advice desert'.
Source: Charlotte Williams, John Borland, Aled Griffiths, Gwyneth Roberts and Elspeth Morris, Snakes and Ladders: Advice and support for employment discrimination cases in Wales, Department of Social Science/University of Wales (Bangor), available from Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
An agreement was announced between the Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities in Wales, and the Audit Commission on a 'protocol' for improving public services in Wales.
Source: Press release 20.1.03, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release | WLGA press release
Date: 2003-Jan