A report explained the legal and administrative underpinnings of devolution and how they shaped the health policies pursued in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It identified various kinds of tension building up along administrative and physical borders, and the likelihood of major intergovernmental conflict.
Source: Scott Greer and Alan Trench, Health and Intergovernmental Relations in the Devolved United Kingdom, Nuffield Trust (020 631 8450)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Jul
The Welsh Assembly Government announced its legislative programme for 2008-09. Key measures included steps to: provide greater support to children and families experiencing poverty; extend the range of individuals who might appeal to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales; establish a fairer and more consistent approach to charging for specified care services levied by local authorities; require local partners to co-operate in effective and joined-up community planning and service improvement, based on greater engagement with citizens; and give local authorities the power to apply to designate areas of housing pressure where the right to buy might be suspended for a limited period.
Source: Press release 15 July 2008, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release | CIW report
Date: 2008-Jul
An article examined some of the impacts of devolution on the discipline of social policy. Devolution mattered for social policy as a field of research and study, and for the analysis and understanding of developments in social policy. It had a number of implications in terms of comparative and transnational social policy, new sites of analysis, the language of social policy, the production of knowledge, and the development of new policy communities. It also signalled new perspectives based on evolving welfare subjectivities and around questions of territorial justice.
Source: Charlotte Williams and Gerry Mooney, 'Decentring social policy? Devolution and the discipline of social policy: a commentary', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 37 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jul
The Wales Office published its annual report for 2007-08.
Source: Annual Report 2008, Cm 7404, Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-May
An article examined the position of quangos in the context of devolution, and the constraints on a comprehensive redistribution of the functions of quangos in the three devolved administrations.
Source: Derek Birrell, 'Devolution and quangos in the United Kingdom: the implementation of principles and policies for rationalisation and democratisation', Policy Studies, Volume 29 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
A new book examined inter-governmental relations in the devolved United Kingdom. It considered why devolution had enabled different approaches to government and policy-making to develop in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland since 1999, despite the fact that a close examination of the structure of devolution suggested that the UK government retained control over most key areas.
Source: Alan Trench (ed.), Devolution and Power in the United Kingdom, Manchester University Press (0161 275 2310)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Feb
A think-tank report examined the future role and composition of the National Assembly for Wales.
Source: John Osmond, Assembly to Senedd: The Convention and the move towards legislative powers, Institute of Welsh Affairs (029 2057 5511)
Links: IWA press release
Date: 2008-Jan
