A chapter in the 2011-12 British Social Attitudes Survey report examined trends in public opinion in Scotland and England on social and economic issues. People in Scotland were generally a little more likely than those in England to express 'social democratic' views on issues of economic inequality: but this difference had not widened since devolution. Scotland was not more socially conservative than England: on some issues opinion in Scotland had became more liberal, in tandem with a similar trend in England.
Source: John Curtice and Rachel Ormston, 'On the road to divergence? Trends in public opinion in Scotland and England' (in Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery, John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds.), British Social Attitudes 28: 2011-2012 Edition), SAGE Publications
Links: Chapter
Date: 2011-Dec
A committee of MSPs said that it was 'unable to recommend' support for United Kingdom legislation designed to transfer new powers to the Scottish Parliament. It said that the plans were 'not yet fit for purpose', because they did not include the devolution of full powers over tax and benefits.
Source: Report on the Scotland Bill, 1st Report 2011, SP Paper 49, Scottish Parliament Scotland Bill Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the ways in which the Scottish National Party had approached social policy issues, focusing on its concern to develop policies that promoted solidarity, cohesion, and fairness. The article also considered the importance of nationalism for the analysis of social welfare: social policy-making was often central to nation-building – particularly in the context of multi-national devolution of the kind that had recently developed in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Source: Gerry Mooney and Gill Scott, 'Social justice, social welfare and devolution: nationalism and social policy making in Scotland', Poverty & Public Policy, Volume 3 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
The new Scottish Government announced its legislative and non-legislative priorities for the 2011-12 parliamentary term. These included: a pledge to provide every young person aged 16-19 with a learning or training opportunity; legislation to create a single police service for Scotland; legislation to introduce a minimum price for alcohol; and a legal requirement for all Scottish Government policy and legislation to take account of the rights of children and young people.
Source: Renewing Scotland: The Government?s Programme for Scotland 2011-2012, Scottish Government, TSO
Links: Programme | FM statement | Scottish Government press release | COSLA press release | CRAE press release | STUC press release | Sustrans press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Sep
The Welsh Government published its programme for the period 2011-2016. It included commitments to: establish a Welsh jobs fund; increase access to family doctor services; fund 500 new community support officers; increase frontline spending in schools; release more public land for affordable housing; and publish an anti-poverty action plan (by 2012).
Source: Programme for Government, Welsh Government
Links: Programme | Annex | Welsh Government press release | CHC press release | Plaid Cymru press release | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Inside Housing report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Sep
The Northern Ireland Office published its annual report for 2010-11.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2010/11, HC 1259, Northern Ireland Office, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Aug
The Wales Office published its annual report for 2010-11.
Source: Annual Report 2010-11, Cm 8107, Wales Office, TSO
Links: Report | Report (Welsh) | Wales Office press release
Date: 2011-Jul
The Welsh Assembly Government set out its legislative priorities for the following five years. New Bills would: make local authorities collaborate more closely when delivering services; tackle the problem of underperforming schools; provide for the first time a coherent Welsh legal framework for the provision of social services; address homelessness, and improve standards and tenants' rights in the private rented sector; and make the planning system more transparent and accessible.
Source: Press release 12 July 2011, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: WAG press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Jul
The coalition government announced changes to the Scotland Bill designed to provide greater financial responsibility to the Scottish Parliament. The devolved government would be allowed to raise more money in addition to the £12 billion of financial powers already proposed in the Bill, and might be allowed to issue its own bonds.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 13 June 2011, columns 55-56WS, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Scottish Government press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jun
The Scotland Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to provide the Scottish Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers including setting a Scottish income tax rate each year covering approximately 35 per cent of its revenue spending.
Source: Scotland Bill, Scotland Office, TSO | Debate 21 June 2011, columns 222-294, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jun
A referendum in Wales endorsed proposals for the Welsh Assembly to be given direct legislative powers. The Assembly would be able to pass legislation on matters within 'devolved' policy areas without the need to obtain the consent of the United Kingdom parliament.
Source: BBC report, 4 March 2011
Links: BBC report | NAW research note | HOC research note | NAW press release | Hansard | Plaid Cymru press release | WLGA press release | Wales Office press release | Guardian report | Public Finance report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the impact of devolution on European Union policy-making. The relationship between devolution and institutionalized regional involvement was positive overall, but non-linear.
Source: Michael Tatham, 'Devolution and EU policy-shaping: bridging the gap between multi-level governance and liberal intergovernmentalism', European Political Science Review, Volume 3 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs called for greater transparency over the financial calculations in plans to devolve further tax and borrowing powers to the Scottish Parliament. Planned borrowing limits were too low and should be higher.
Source: The Scotland Bill, Fourth Report (Session 2010-11), HC 775, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the financial powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Bill (published in November 2010) should be increased. MSPs should have greater control over income tax bands, and a power to borrow up to £5 billion for capital projects – more than double the £2.2 billion limit set in the Bill.
Source: Report on the Scotland Bill and Relevant Legislative Consent Memoranda, 1st Report 2011, SP Paper 608, Scottish Parliament Scotland Bill Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release | Hansard | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Mar
A research briefing examined the legislative powers gained by the National Assembly of Wales since 2007.
Source: Owain Roberts and Sian Nicholson, Summary of the Legislative Powers Gained by the National Assembly Since 2007, Research Paper 11/009, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales called for an additional layer of scrutiny in order to improve the standard of legislation going through the National Assembly for Wales. The Welsh Government should publish papers setting out policy proposals in detail in advance of proposed Measures, similar to the White Paper stage at Westminster.
Source: Inquiry into the Drafting of Welsh Government Measures: Lessons from the first three years, Constitutional Affairs Committee, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A new book examined the record of the Welsh Assembly during the first 10 years of its existence.
Source: Martin Shipton, Poor Man's Parliament: Ten years of the Welsh Assembly, Seren Books
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
A report said that further devolution of powers to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland seemed 'inevitable'.
Source: Arthur Aughey, Eberhard Bort, and John Osmond, Unique Paths to Devolution: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Institute of Welsh Affairs
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
The Scotland Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to provide the Scottish Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers including setting a Scottish income tax rate each year covering approximately 35 per cent of its revenue spending.
Source: Scotland Bill, Scotland Office, TSO | Debate 27 January 2011, columns 467-556, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | Scotland Office press release | Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Jan
A research paper reviewed the extent of the legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales.
Source: Owain Roberts, Legislative Powers of the National Assembly for Wales, Research Paper 11/008, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the implications for Wales of its proposals on constitutional reform. It said that Wales was 'significantly overrepresented' in Parliament, and confirmed plans to cut the number of MPs from Wales.
Source: The Implications for Wales of the Government's Proposals on Constitutional Reform: Government Response to the Committee's First Report, Fourth Special Report (Session 2010-11), HC 729, House of Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response | BBC report
Notes: The MPs' report had expressed concern over a lack of opportunity to scrutinize the proposals.
Date: 2011-Jan