A report examined policy options for Wales during the third term of the National Assembly. It said that the new Assembly Government would have to manage its finances much more carefully if it wished to make new policy initiatives and improve public services.
Source: Time To Deliver: The third term and beyond - policy options for Wales, Institute of Welsh Affairs (029 2057 5511)
Links: IWA press release
Date: 2006-Nov
The Welsh Assembly Government announced (in response to an official review) an action plan for changing the way public services were delivered to the people of Wales. Key actions included: establishing Local Service Boards on a local authority area basis to bring main services (both devolved and non-devolved) together to plan and deliver integrated services; improving the way in which public bodies engaged with the people they served based on national standards for key services; and requiring civil servants to support service improvement and translate policy into action, by sitting on Local Service Boards, contributing to expert partnerships, and relying less on old-style bureaucracy to achieve improvement.
Source: Making the Connections: Delivering Beyond Boundaries, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Action plan | Action plan (Welsh) | Beecham Review | WLGA press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
The Welsh Assembly Government published a draft budget for 2007-08. The total budget was £14 billion, of which health and social services accounted for £5.5 billion, and local government £4.0 billion. The budget was voted down by Assembly members.
Source: Press release 17 October 2006, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111) | BBC report, 24 October 2006
Links: WAG press release | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2)
Date: 2006-Oct
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on proposals to improve customer service in Welsh public services.
Source: Building Better Customer Service: Core principles for public services, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2006-Aug
A report examined the public services improvement agenda in Wales. It challenged service providers to do more (and more visibly and quickly) to meet the promise to place the citizen centre stage.
Source: Putting the Citizen Centre Stage, Welsh Consumer Council (029 2025 5454)
Links: Report | WCC press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A report summarized the work of the Wales Audit Office in 2005-06. It said that standards of financial management and probity in the central government and National Health Service sectors in Wales remained high.
Source: Financial Audit of Central Government and NHS Bodies in Wales: 2006, Wales Audit Office (029 2026 0260)
Links: Report | WAO press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The Wales Audit Office launched its three-year strategy to help deliver improvements to public services. Although there were generally high standards of financial accountability in central government and related bodies in Wales, there were a number of persistent issues that restrained improvement.
Source: Making Public Money Count: Wales Audit Office Strategy 2006-2009, Wales Audit Office (029 2026 0260)
Links: Report | WAO press release
Date: 2006-May
The Welsh Assembly government published outline capital investment plans for Wales for the three years 2006-07 to 2008-09. Spending would rise from ?1,278 million in 2005-06 to ?1,692 million by 2008-09.
Source: Firm Foundations, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May