Assembly for Wales Committees. Political context These included investigations into the There has been a great deal of political future change affecting Wales. In the last five of equality and human rights in Wales, years two general elections have disability harassment, human trafficking, brought changes in the UK Government. home adaptations, wheelchair availability The 2011 National Assembly for and the educational outcomes of Wales’s elections replaced the children from low-income households. Labour Plaid coalition with a Labour – minority government. There were There have been changes in the European Parliamentary elections, local devolution settlement. In 2011 a government elections and elections for referendum granted the Assembly Police and Crime Commissioners. full law-making powers in its areas of responsibility. Ministerial responsibility for equality A UK Government Commission (the Silk matters in Wales has changed over Commission) reported on the the period. Following the 2011 Assembly’s tax and borrowing powers, National Assembly for Wales’ with most recommendations being elections, included in the Wales Act 2014. responsibility for equality became part of the portfolio of the Minister for Finance The Commission then reported on the and Leader of the House. It then became Assembly’s powers, and recommended the responsibility of three successive that a model closer to the reserved Ministers for Communities and Tackling powers model already applied to Poverty. Scotland should be looked at for Wales. This has some implications in respect of Equality and rights were the subject equality and human rights. The draft Bill of several inquiries by National was published in October 2015.
Political context There has been a great deal of political change affecting Wales. In the last five years two general elections have brought changes in the UK Government. The 2011 National Assembly for Wales’s elections replaced the Labour – Plaid coalition with a Labour minority government. There were European Parliamentary elections, local government elections and elections for Police and Crime Commissioners. Ministerial responsibility for equality matters in Wales has changed over the period. Following the 2011 National Assembly for Wales’ elections, responsibility for equality became part of the portfolio of the Minister for Finance and Leader of the House. It then became the responsibility of three successive Ministers for Communities and Tackling Poverty. Equality and rights were the subject of several inquiries by National Assembly for Wales Committees. These included investigations into the future of equality and human rights in Wales, disability harassment, human trafficking, home adaptations, wheelchair availability and the educational outcomes of children from low-income households. There have been changes in the devolution settlement. In 2011 a referendum granted the Assembly full law-making powers in its areas of responsibility. A UK Government Commission (the Silk Commission) reported on the Assembly’s tax and borrowing powers, with most recommendations being included in the Wales Act 2014. The Commission then reported on the Assembly’s powers, and recommended that a model closer to the reserved powers model already applied to Scotland should be looked at for Wales. This has some implications in respect of equality and human rights. The draft Bill was published in October 2015.
is-wales-fairer-2015.docx