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Binning Bad News: Health Minister Edwina Hart 'withheld NHS report'
Published on 2010-09-21 15:37:00
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams produced the document in the Senedd Health Minister Edwina Hart has been accused of withholding a consultants' report which criticises the Welsh Assembly government's NHS leadership.Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams made the accusation in the Senedd, producing a McKinsey document.Mrs Hart had previously said there was "no formal document for scrutiny".The assembly government said Mrs Hart misled no-one, there was no McKinsey report, and t
Christmas arrives early with Gimmick Government
Published on 2010-03-24 10:31:00
Hundreds of 10 and 11-year-olds in some of Wales’ poorest areas will be first to benefit from a new scheme to provide free laptop computers to children, it was announced today.The pilot project, which will cost £700,000 over the next two years, will initially see 1,200 school children in Communities First and Flying Start areas receiving the machines.Conservatives have denounced the Assembly Government move as an expensive gimmick.The scheme was a key pledge in the Labour-Plaid Cymru coalitio
'Streamlining' reorganisation = reward for Assembly Government's Civil Servants
Published on 2010-03-24 09:37:00
Serious questions are being asked today about a shake-up of senior civil servants within the Assembly Government that has led to more of them earning above £120,000.Seven “director general” posts were created last year in a streamlining move aimed at cutting overall costs. But critics are unconvinced that the new arrangements are appropriate.Concerns have also been raised about “back-up” appointments that risk eating into savings made as a result of the reorganisation.It is understood,
All it takes is a picket fence to hold up a not-so-rosy Government of Wales
Published on 2010-03-24 06:02:00
An assembly debate is due to go ahead in the Senedd building later - in the absence of both government parties and has left this photograph as a lasting image of Welsh Assembly Government, and sadly casts a shadow over Welsh politics and devolved government in the UK.First Minister Carwyn Jones said Labour and Plaid members "would be very concerned" about crossing picket lines of striking PCS union members.The decision not to attend has been criticised as "silly posturing".The Tories called it "
Comment of the Week
Published on 2010-03-22 11:02:00
In response to Labour's dossier lifting the lid on Conservative MPs, Welsh Conservative Assembly leader Nick Bourne hits back at the claims:We’ll take no lessons from Labour on devolution when one of their own candidates describes AMs as part-timers, their First Minister dithers over calling for a referendum, and their Welsh Secretary is lukewarm on holding a referendum in thefirst place...For the last 11 years Conservatives have worked hard to make devolution deliver for the people of Wales.
Lining the pockets of lawyers... Only in Wales?
Published on 2010-03-12 05:22:00
The Welsh Assembly Government spent more than £3.8m on external legal advice in one year, according to figures revealed yesterday.The biggest spending department on advice in 2008 was health and social services, which was responsible for £1,812,366, followed by economy and transport with £1,132,049.Conservative Assembly leader Nick Bourne said he was “staggered” by the costs.A further £319,086 was spent on hospitality – £210,844 by economy and transport.In addition, furniture costs re
A Sad Day for Devolution
Published on 2010-03-09 02:00:00
The plenary meeting of the national assembly has been called off as a strike by civil and public servants continues for a second day, which could be described as a simple case of one step forward and two steps back for devolution in Wales.Is democracy this fragile?Up to 20,000 workers in Wales are expected to take part in the second day of a UK-wide industrial action over changes to redundancy terms.It has caused the assembly to postpone Tuesday's scheduled meeting of all members until Wednesday
An Own Goal for Labour
Published on 2010-03-04 04:20:00
The Ashcroft saga looks like it will end up as an own goal for Labour. There is nothing illegal about the whole story. Not only that, but Lord Ashcroft wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth (sorry, socialists), as everyone knows he's a self-made man, and one of the success stories of the old Grammar School System.What will come as a great shock for Labour luvvies is that he also pays tax on his financial and private affairs in the UK, making him a UK taxpayer.In a nutshell, despite the me
Rhodri Morgan uses the internet for the first time...
Published on 2010-03-04 04:11:00
Former Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan has been targeted by online fraudsters, MPs were told today.Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said Mr Morgan, who stood down last year, was sent an email from a woman saying he was “exactly the kind of man she was looking for”.During Commons question time, Mr Brennan – MP for Cardiff West – joked that the message had not come from Mr Morgan’s wife Julie, the MP for Cardiff North.After setting out measures being taken to combat online fraud – part
Morgan's legacy leaves recurring hangovers
Published on 2010-01-25 04:37:00
Rhodri Morgan only left a short while ago, and now we find that civil service sleaze lingers on to affect Carwyn Jones' administration. WAG staffing has always managed to raise the odd eyebrow in the media, but when is someone going to take control of a problem that has been in the making since Rhodri's bonfire, nearly four years ago?Welsh Assembly Government staff relocating to the Llandudno Junction base are to be given thousands of pounds of tax payers’ money in “disruption allowances”.