Written - Progress Report on the Welsh Assembly Governments 2007-08 Legislative Programme

This statement provides a progress report on the Welsh Assembly Government’s 2007/08 legislative programme in advance of the First Minister’s statement on the Government’s legislative programme for 2008/09, which is being made in plenary on 15 July.

It was the objective of the Government to bring forward during 2007/08 six Legislative Competence Orders (LCOs) and three Assembly Measures in the following areas:

• A Legislative Competence Order on Additional Learning Needs;
• A Legislative Competence Order on Environmental Protection and Waste Management;
• A Legislative Competence Order on Vulnerable Children;
• A Legislative Competence Order on Domiciliary Care;
• A Legislative Competence Order on Affordable Housing;
• A Legislative Competence Order on the Welsh Language;
• An Assembly Measure on NHS Redress.An Assembly Measure on Learner Travel; and
• An Assembly Measure on Learning and Skills.

The 2007/08 programme represented the first steps to deliver the legislative commitments which underpin the delivery of the Government’s One Wales Agenda. In providing this update I have covered each item in the order in which they have or will be introduced into the Assembly.

Additional Learning Needs LCO

The LCO was laid on 11 June 2007. Following completion of pre-legislative scrutiny and approval of the draft Order by the Assembly and both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Education and Training) Order received Royal approval on 9 April 2008.

Environmental Protection and Waste Management LCO

The LCO was introduced into the Assembly on 19 June 2007 and has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the Assembly Legislative Committee. Discussions on the LCO with the UK Government are proceeding and progress is being made.

NHS Redress Measure

The Measure was introduced on 2 July 2007. It completed all the Assembly legislative stages and was passed by the Assembly on 6 May and will go to Privy Council for Royal approval in July.

Vulnerable Children LCO

The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare and Other Fields) Order on Vulnerable Children was laid on 9 July 2007. The LCO has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny in the Assembly with a revised proposed Order being laid on 8 April 2008. The Order has also been laid in Parliament and is undergoing scrutiny by the Welsh Affairs Committee. Following receipt of their report and consideration of the recommendations, the draft Order will be brought back to the Assembly for debate and approval early in the autumn session.

Domiciliary Care LCO

An LCO on Domiciliary Care, known formally as the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare) Order 2008, was laid on 26 November 2007. Following completion of pre-legislative scrutiny in the Assembly and Parliament the Order was approved by the Assembly on 20 May 2008, the LCO is now before Parliament for approval.

Affordable Housing LCO

The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No.5) Order 2008 on Affordable Housing was laid on 3 December 2007 and has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the Assembly Legislative Committee. It has been laid in Parliament and is currently being scrutinised by the Welsh Affairs Committee. Once the Welsh Affairs Committee has reported, we will consider the recommendations from the reports of the Assembly and Parliamentary committees and bring the draft LCO back to the Assembly for debate and approval in the autumn session.

Learner Travel Measure

Following extensive public consultation on the proposed draft, the Measure was introduced on 15 April 2008. The Measure is currently being considered by the Assembly Committee in the second stage of its scrutiny and is on course to progress to stages three and four early in the autumn session.

Learning and Skills Measure

The Measure was issued for consultation between January and April 2008. It will be introduced and begin its first stage of Assembly scrutiny before the summer recess.

Welsh Language LCO

An LCO on the Welsh Language is under preparation and as you will be aware from the statement made by the Minister for Heritage on Friday 20 June, the broad scope of the LCO has been agreed by the Cabinet and we are currently working to finalise the detail of the LCO to ensure that the extent of the Assembly’s competence is clear. This is crucial in terms of how it impacts on our ability to develop Measures on the language in the future.

There has been real progress in the development of the Legislative Competence Orders and although there have been challenges with what is a wholly new procedure, four of the six LCOs in the programme are well on their way and it is anticipated that the others will follow later in the year. It is, however, through Assembly Measures that we will deliver real change and all the Measures that we promised as part of the first legislative programme have been developed and will be presented for approval by the Assembly before the end of this year.