Those eco-warriors at the Wales Office have managed to cut their carbon emissions by an impressive 85 per cent during the last decade.
It sounds dramatic, and is not due, apparently, to the fact that the department handed over all its executive powers to the Welsh Assembly in 1999.
My mole in Gwydyr House, its Whitehall home, tells me: "I've been told that because we are such a small office, little things that we can do to reduce our footprint have a disproportionate impact."
It's true that the Wales Office didn't even have a state-subsidised airline to cancel. Secretary of State Peter Hain has long-believed in a red-green agenda, although the impact of his rooftop solar panels is rather undermined by his preference for cooking on an Aga and a fondness for Formula1.
Perhaps junior Minister Wayne David got a warm hand-knitted sweater for Christmas that allowed him to turn down the office thermostat?
Possibly, although this photograph suggests Mr Hain got there first. The Wales Office says: "We've done two things: moved to the Whitehall Distribution System for our heating (a centralised heating system for buildings in Whitehall), and turned off the heating at weekends and other periods when the office was closed."
You may wonder why the building was heated while empty anyway, but I'm not bright enough to answer that one.
Showing posts with label Wales Office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wales Office. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Happy Anniversary
We love anniversaries in journalism. It's 40 years today since the Prince of Wales was invested, if that's the right phrase.
It's two years this week since Labour and Plaid Cymru coalesced in Cardiff Bay. It's two - very long years - since Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair.
It's approaching the first anniversary of the last Welsh Conservative news conference at Westminster (or maybe it just feels like that).
It's 10 years today since power was devolved from Westminster to Edinburgh and Cardiff.
That means it's also the 10th anniversary of the Wales Office, where Peter Hain - Secretary of State for more than half that time - says they are busier than ever before.
Ten years ago, on what we could call D-Day, Mr Hain was a junior Welsh Office Minister. One day he was making key decisions on Welsh schools, the next he was metaphorically twiddling his thumbs as the education brief, along with others, was transferred along the M4.
The artist Mumph drew a cartoon of Mr Hain and a fellow junior Minister playing battleships in the power-free zone that their department became. It may have been a slight exaggeration, although those present at the time recall a surreal post-devolution atmosphere before Welsh Ministers found a new role at Westminster.
In those days, if anyone mentioned LCOs you might confuse it with a breakfast cereal or supermarket. These days they are the stuff of casual conversation in pubs up and down the land. Well, perhaps not.
The 10th wedding anniversary is normally marked by presents of aluminium or tin. I'll leave you to come up with suitable gifts for the Wales Office on its big day.
It's two years this week since Labour and Plaid Cymru coalesced in Cardiff Bay. It's two - very long years - since Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair.
It's approaching the first anniversary of the last Welsh Conservative news conference at Westminster (or maybe it just feels like that).
It's 10 years today since power was devolved from Westminster to Edinburgh and Cardiff.
That means it's also the 10th anniversary of the Wales Office, where Peter Hain - Secretary of State for more than half that time - says they are busier than ever before.
Ten years ago, on what we could call D-Day, Mr Hain was a junior Welsh Office Minister. One day he was making key decisions on Welsh schools, the next he was metaphorically twiddling his thumbs as the education brief, along with others, was transferred along the M4.
The artist Mumph drew a cartoon of Mr Hain and a fellow junior Minister playing battleships in the power-free zone that their department became. It may have been a slight exaggeration, although those present at the time recall a surreal post-devolution atmosphere before Welsh Ministers found a new role at Westminster.
In those days, if anyone mentioned LCOs you might confuse it with a breakfast cereal or supermarket. These days they are the stuff of casual conversation in pubs up and down the land. Well, perhaps not.
The 10th wedding anniversary is normally marked by presents of aluminium or tin. I'll leave you to come up with suitable gifts for the Wales Office on its big day.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Tories oppose spending cuts
You may remember the outrage among opposition parties when it emerged that the Wales Office budget was to rise by 80 per cent one year.
There is now similar outrage about plans to cut the same budget by more than half next year.
Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan says: "At a time of austerity, all departments need to think about how they can save the taxpayer money, but Labour need to come clear about their plans and stop treating people like fools.
"Peter Hain promises that there will be real increases in government departments’ spending, when he must know his own department’s budget is being halved.”
Mrs Gillan also complains that the Wales Office will now bear the full cost of Mr Hain's salary - in his previous incarnation there the bill was picked up by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The amounts involved are relatively insignificant - something like £3.6m in a Welsh settlement of around £16bn (the figures refer to his office costs not the Hain salary!).
The Wales Office points out that it also paid Mr Hain's predecessor, Paul Murphy. A spokesman says: "This was a three-year settlement dating back to the Government's last Comprehensive Spending Review of 2007, which included a substantial increase in the Wales Office budget for the first two years.
"Planned efficiency savings over the first and current financial years were always anticipated to give us the resources necessary for spending needs in the final year, 2010/11. Nothing has changed."
The disputed figures cover the next financial year, by then the Conservatives hope to take power: no news yet on how much the budget would be under a Cameron government.
There is now similar outrage about plans to cut the same budget by more than half next year.
Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan says: "At a time of austerity, all departments need to think about how they can save the taxpayer money, but Labour need to come clear about their plans and stop treating people like fools.
"Peter Hain promises that there will be real increases in government departments’ spending, when he must know his own department’s budget is being halved.”
Mrs Gillan also complains that the Wales Office will now bear the full cost of Mr Hain's salary - in his previous incarnation there the bill was picked up by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The amounts involved are relatively insignificant - something like £3.6m in a Welsh settlement of around £16bn (the figures refer to his office costs not the Hain salary!).
The Wales Office points out that it also paid Mr Hain's predecessor, Paul Murphy. A spokesman says: "This was a three-year settlement dating back to the Government's last Comprehensive Spending Review of 2007, which included a substantial increase in the Wales Office budget for the first two years.
"Planned efficiency savings over the first and current financial years were always anticipated to give us the resources necessary for spending needs in the final year, 2010/11. Nothing has changed."
The disputed figures cover the next financial year, by then the Conservatives hope to take power: no news yet on how much the budget would be under a Cameron government.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
As if he'd never been away.....
It was just like old times at the Wales Office. The "Mandela for President" ANC poster had been restored to its place above the fireplace, although I struggled to spot the Nye Bevan statuette.
Peter Hain had his feet behind the Secretary of State's desk. Staff scurried around with an increased sense of purpose. One civil servant told me Mr Hain did more media interviews in his first week than Paul Murphy did in a year.
The media arrived for what you would have to term a wide-ranging briefing and left, almost an hour later, with notebooks bulging.
Digital Britain? Legislative Competence Orders? the Calman Commission? Labour's Welsh woes? The Neath MP had views on them all.
His views on the latter were rehearsed in today's Western Mail. He argues that Labour is performing worse in Wales than elsewhere - "It's not good enough just to blame it on Westminster and the expenses issue."
I did try to find out who he had in mind, who had been blaming Westminster and the expenses issue? I failed to persuade Mr Hain to name names, although you may have your own ideas.
On the Calman Commission, he suggested the Welsh Assembly could get to keep some tax revenues raised in Wales - the landfill tax and the aggregates levy - if similar powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
On LCOs, he confirmed that the Assembly Government's housing plans were back on the drawing board, but hinted that it could ultimately acquire stronger powers.
As we left, civil servants entered the room carrying platefuls of crisps, nuts and other nibbles.
Had the head of the private office been promoted to butler under the new regime? Alas, not.
Besides the media, the Welsh Secretary was hosting 11 children with cancer and leukaemia from south Wales, for whom the spread was intended.
The children also got the chance to visit the Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, for one of his last engagements before he steps down at the end of this week.
They are currently visiting Downing Street, where the Chancellor's wife, Maggie Darling, is organising a tea party.
The children were marched up Downing Street by Welsh Guards and Queens Dragoon Guards in full ceremonial reds.
Unlike last year the soldiers left their regimental mascot - the goat, Shenkin - behind, sad news for the children although possibly not for the Wales Office cleaners.
Peter Hain had his feet behind the Secretary of State's desk. Staff scurried around with an increased sense of purpose. One civil servant told me Mr Hain did more media interviews in his first week than Paul Murphy did in a year.
The media arrived for what you would have to term a wide-ranging briefing and left, almost an hour later, with notebooks bulging.
Digital Britain? Legislative Competence Orders? the Calman Commission? Labour's Welsh woes? The Neath MP had views on them all.
His views on the latter were rehearsed in today's Western Mail. He argues that Labour is performing worse in Wales than elsewhere - "It's not good enough just to blame it on Westminster and the expenses issue."
I did try to find out who he had in mind, who had been blaming Westminster and the expenses issue? I failed to persuade Mr Hain to name names, although you may have your own ideas.
On the Calman Commission, he suggested the Welsh Assembly could get to keep some tax revenues raised in Wales - the landfill tax and the aggregates levy - if similar powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
On LCOs, he confirmed that the Assembly Government's housing plans were back on the drawing board, but hinted that it could ultimately acquire stronger powers.
As we left, civil servants entered the room carrying platefuls of crisps, nuts and other nibbles.Had the head of the private office been promoted to butler under the new regime? Alas, not.
Besides the media, the Welsh Secretary was hosting 11 children with cancer and leukaemia from south Wales, for whom the spread was intended.
The children also got the chance to visit the Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, for one of his last engagements before he steps down at the end of this week.
They are currently visiting Downing Street, where the Chancellor's wife, Maggie Darling, is organising a tea party.
The children were marched up Downing Street by Welsh Guards and Queens Dragoon Guards in full ceremonial reds.
Unlike last year the soldiers left their regimental mascot - the goat, Shenkin - behind, sad news for the children although possibly not for the Wales Office cleaners.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
There may be trouble ahead
"Historic" is a word used almost daily in Welsh politics, but a small landmark looms next week.
MPs are due to grill Ministers from Cardiff Bay and Westminster on the Welsh Assembly Government's request to be able to legislate on the Welsh language.
Assembly Government Culture Minister Alun Ffred Jones will be followed by Wales Office Minister Wayne David during next Monday's meeting of the Welsh affairs select committee.
Ministers from both Parliament and the Assembly frequently appear before the committee to discuss plans to transfer law-making plans to Cardiff Bay.
But this is likely to be the first time that the UK Government Minister doesn't simply endorse the request for powers but voices reservations about the Assembly Government's request.
Wayne David, if prompted, is expected to refer to the results of a Wales Office consultation exercise that insiders say proved overwhelmingly hostile to the idea of extra responsibilities on business to offer services in Welsh.
Welsh Ramblings suggests the Wales Office has skewed its consultation exercise to obtain the sceptical response it wanted. Either way, another outbreak of tension between politicians either side of Offa's Dyke looks inevitable.
MPs are due to grill Ministers from Cardiff Bay and Westminster on the Welsh Assembly Government's request to be able to legislate on the Welsh language.
Assembly Government Culture Minister Alun Ffred Jones will be followed by Wales Office Minister Wayne David during next Monday's meeting of the Welsh affairs select committee.
Ministers from both Parliament and the Assembly frequently appear before the committee to discuss plans to transfer law-making plans to Cardiff Bay.
But this is likely to be the first time that the UK Government Minister doesn't simply endorse the request for powers but voices reservations about the Assembly Government's request.
Wayne David, if prompted, is expected to refer to the results of a Wales Office consultation exercise that insiders say proved overwhelmingly hostile to the idea of extra responsibilities on business to offer services in Welsh.
Welsh Ramblings suggests the Wales Office has skewed its consultation exercise to obtain the sceptical response it wanted. Either way, another outbreak of tension between politicians either side of Offa's Dyke looks inevitable.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Spinning and swimming
Disraeli warned us of lies, damned lies and statistics but you'd think in this post-McBride era it would be difficult to spin real figures.
I've spent the day swimming in figures, amid claims and counter-claims of spending cuts that result from the Chancellor's Budget.
His "efficiency saving" is your spending cut, or not if savings are recycled into public services. Then again, if efficiency savings worth billions are possible, what is that money currently being wasted on?
The Wales Office put the Welsh share of the "efficiency savings" at £216m "over two years", which neatly avoids the point that there are none in the first of those two years.
Alistair Darling has promised higher savings in the years after 2011. More pain (or value for the taxpayer?) is on the way.
Fears that the Welsh Assembly Government would get more than £400m less than expected are based on the UK Government allowing WAG to spend this year £120m from next year's budget - and not repeating the move next year. If WAG got an early birthday present, would it really complain when another gift from the same source didn't arrive on the same day?
The Plaid Cymru deputy first Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, has accused "London Labour" (headed by those well-known cockneys Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling) of imposing cuts on Wales.
The Wales Office insists the Assembly Government's Budget will still rise in real terms. Even if it gets £400m less than it expected - or hoped - would that really slash a £16bn budget?
Ministers say this 2.5 per cent cut in the expected (not actual) budget would still prove challenging, although many in the private sector face far worse at the moment.
The Institute of Directors makes the point: "We either squeeze public spending or higher taxation squeezes the life out of the economy".
But then the IoD never had to get elected.
I've spent the day swimming in figures, amid claims and counter-claims of spending cuts that result from the Chancellor's Budget.
His "efficiency saving" is your spending cut, or not if savings are recycled into public services. Then again, if efficiency savings worth billions are possible, what is that money currently being wasted on?
The Wales Office put the Welsh share of the "efficiency savings" at £216m "over two years", which neatly avoids the point that there are none in the first of those two years.
Alistair Darling has promised higher savings in the years after 2011. More pain (or value for the taxpayer?) is on the way.
Fears that the Welsh Assembly Government would get more than £400m less than expected are based on the UK Government allowing WAG to spend this year £120m from next year's budget - and not repeating the move next year. If WAG got an early birthday present, would it really complain when another gift from the same source didn't arrive on the same day?
The Plaid Cymru deputy first Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, has accused "London Labour" (headed by those well-known cockneys Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling) of imposing cuts on Wales.
The Wales Office insists the Assembly Government's Budget will still rise in real terms. Even if it gets £400m less than it expected - or hoped - would that really slash a £16bn budget?
Ministers say this 2.5 per cent cut in the expected (not actual) budget would still prove challenging, although many in the private sector face far worse at the moment.
The Institute of Directors makes the point: "We either squeeze public spending or higher taxation squeezes the life out of the economy".
But then the IoD never had to get elected.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
United Nations?
Those bloggers who tend to believe everything in the newspapers - and there are many - have been curiously slow to react to this column by the usually well-informed Rachel Sylvester in The Times yesterday.
She wrote: "A limited reshuffle - focused on merging the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jobs into a single constitutional secretary role - had been pencilled into the No 10 diary for this week."
A "significant" announcement is expected in Northern Ireland this afternoon. Some think this will go beyond the transformation of the IRA to the devolution of justice and policing to Belfast and involve the merging of the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offices.
If it's happening this week, the Wales Office remains in the dark - admittedly not in itself evidence that it isn't happening.
She wrote: "A limited reshuffle - focused on merging the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jobs into a single constitutional secretary role - had been pencilled into the No 10 diary for this week."
A "significant" announcement is expected in Northern Ireland this afternoon. Some think this will go beyond the transformation of the IRA to the devolution of justice and policing to Belfast and involve the merging of the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offices.
If it's happening this week, the Wales Office remains in the dark - admittedly not in itself evidence that it isn't happening.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Murphy ready for his close-up
I'm not the only person to have noticed how the taxpayer-funded Wales Office annual report features photographs only of Labour politicians from both Westminster and Cardiff Bay during a chapter labelled Promoting Wales.
Tory MP David Jones raised the issue with Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy today: "I can't help noticing that each and every one of those politicians happens to be a Labour politician.
"I was just wondering maybe next time when the report is produced possibly I and some of my colleagues on this side of the committee room and our colleagues could possibly feature in some of these photographs as well in the interests of equity."
Mr Murphy: "Not a problem - and I'd be more than happy to have a photograph taken with any Welsh member of parliament - the only trouble is of course there happen to be more of ours....
"It's not a trouble really, is it though? Not everybody wants a picture of me, of course...."
Tory MP David Jones raised the issue with Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy today: "I can't help noticing that each and every one of those politicians happens to be a Labour politician.
"I was just wondering maybe next time when the report is produced possibly I and some of my colleagues on this side of the committee room and our colleagues could possibly feature in some of these photographs as well in the interests of equity."
Mr Murphy: "Not a problem - and I'd be more than happy to have a photograph taken with any Welsh member of parliament - the only trouble is of course there happen to be more of ours....
"It's not a trouble really, is it though? Not everybody wants a picture of me, of course...."
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Promoting Wales?
It's not everyone's idea of bedside reading, but in the line of duty I've been studying the Wales Office annual report.
It's a rather glossier document than it used to be. There are, as you might expect, plenty of photographs of Wales Office Ministers past and present.
What you might not expect are a number of photographs of backbench Labour MPs during ministerial visits to their constituencies. I spotted six backbenchers in the space of six pages of chapter 3 - entitled Promoting Wales . Betty Williams features twice.
The fact that these backbenchers all belong to the governing party is, I'm assured, a complete coincidence - as indeed is the absence of any photographs of MPs from other parties. The Wales Office says the idea that its Ministers only visit Labour-held seats is ridiculous.
It's a rather glossier document than it used to be. There are, as you might expect, plenty of photographs of Wales Office Ministers past and present.
What you might not expect are a number of photographs of backbench Labour MPs during ministerial visits to their constituencies. I spotted six backbenchers in the space of six pages of chapter 3 - entitled Promoting Wales . Betty Williams features twice.
The fact that these backbenchers all belong to the governing party is, I'm assured, a complete coincidence - as indeed is the absence of any photographs of MPs from other parties. The Wales Office says the idea that its Ministers only visit Labour-held seats is ridiculous.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus
St David's Day lasts a minimum of 48 hours at Westminster - and potentially up to a week.
It began last night with a Wales Office reception hosted by the new Secretary of State, Paul Murphy - and won't finish until the Plaid Cymru bash next Wednesday.
The Wales Office guest list was rather more celebrity-light than in recent years - I couldn't find anyone to tell me what tomorrow's weather would be like - but no less enjoyable for that.
The party was held on the eve of what Mr Murphy (and as a papal knight he should know) suggested was the feast day of St Llibio, a 6th century hermit from Anglesey. (Some say St Llibio's feast day is actually February 8).
The Welsh Secretary paid a generous tribute to his predecessor, Peter Hain, who was present, although the Neath MP currently has the air of a man having to spend too much time with his lawyers. A weekend trip to see Chelsea at Wembley didn't make 2008 any rosier.
Mr Hain will make his first Commons speech since his resignation today as Parliament celebrates St David's Day with its annual Welsh affairs debate.
Before that, there is a service in the Commons chapel, featuring choirs from Welsh language schools in London and Abercarn.
Daffodil sellers in Westminster are coining it in. Officials arrived in Paul Murphy's office yesterday morning to discover that the carefully-place bouquets had fallen off tables and window sills overnight - victims of the earthquake centred on Market Rasen, and proof perhaps that some natural phenomena don't respect devolved boundaries.
It began last night with a Wales Office reception hosted by the new Secretary of State, Paul Murphy - and won't finish until the Plaid Cymru bash next Wednesday.
The Wales Office guest list was rather more celebrity-light than in recent years - I couldn't find anyone to tell me what tomorrow's weather would be like - but no less enjoyable for that.
The party was held on the eve of what Mr Murphy (and as a papal knight he should know) suggested was the feast day of St Llibio, a 6th century hermit from Anglesey. (Some say St Llibio's feast day is actually February 8).
The Welsh Secretary paid a generous tribute to his predecessor, Peter Hain, who was present, although the Neath MP currently has the air of a man having to spend too much time with his lawyers. A weekend trip to see Chelsea at Wembley didn't make 2008 any rosier.
Mr Hain will make his first Commons speech since his resignation today as Parliament celebrates St David's Day with its annual Welsh affairs debate.
Before that, there is a service in the Commons chapel, featuring choirs from Welsh language schools in London and Abercarn.
Daffodil sellers in Westminster are coining it in. Officials arrived in Paul Murphy's office yesterday morning to discover that the carefully-place bouquets had fallen off tables and window sills overnight - victims of the earthquake centred on Market Rasen, and proof perhaps that some natural phenomena don't respect devolved boundaries.
Monday, 4 February 2008
Does he know something we don't?
One week as Minister for Digital Inclusion, and Paul Murphy has already overhauled the Wales Office website.
He doesn't seem to have got around to making the RSS feeds work properly, but that may be due to an antique version of internet explorer on BBC computers.
How long will the Minister for Digital Inclusion be based at Gwydyr House? Paul Murphy seems less than confident that the Welsh Secretary's job will survive the next ministerial reshuffle.
So is he a stopgap, pending the creation of a "department of the nations" covering Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
"I never see myself as a gap but I don't know how long the job here is going to be, whether in fact they'll reform the way in which the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Offices work and all the rest of it. All I have got to do is do the job to the best of my ability in the time that I am here and I am delighted to be here."
He may not know how long the Wales Office job is going to be, but there's a hint there that he does know something about Gordon Brown's future plans that we don't.
He doesn't seem to have got around to making the RSS feeds work properly, but that may be due to an antique version of internet explorer on BBC computers.
How long will the Minister for Digital Inclusion be based at Gwydyr House? Paul Murphy seems less than confident that the Welsh Secretary's job will survive the next ministerial reshuffle.
So is he a stopgap, pending the creation of a "department of the nations" covering Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
"I never see myself as a gap but I don't know how long the job here is going to be, whether in fact they'll reform the way in which the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Offices work and all the rest of it. All I have got to do is do the job to the best of my ability in the time that I am here and I am delighted to be here."
He may not know how long the Wales Office job is going to be, but there's a hint there that he does know something about Gordon Brown's future plans that we don't.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Christmas is coming
There's nothing so ex as an ex-politician, as the saying goes. But there are consolations - the pay-off from the public purse, the pundit slot on am.pm and...... an invite to Peter Hain's Christmas party.
Last year some invitations to the Cardiff Bay bash went out in the wrong envelopes. This year some have been sent to retired politicians - e.g. Owen John Thomas AM, who stepped down in May.
Invitations have been posted to names on a list that pre-dates the Assembly elections last May.
Perhaps the elections passed the Wales Office by or its Ministers are still in denial about the outcome?
Last year some invitations to the Cardiff Bay bash went out in the wrong envelopes. This year some have been sent to retired politicians - e.g. Owen John Thomas AM, who stepped down in May.
Invitations have been posted to names on a list that pre-dates the Assembly elections last May.
Perhaps the elections passed the Wales Office by or its Ministers are still in denial about the outcome?
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Don't all rush at once
It was, said the (UK) Government, as "another innovative step forward in engaging the public and Parliament in the development of future Government policy".
Peter Hain said: "I now want to ensure that the people of Wales can have a full and active role in the development of the UK Government’s policy programme, which is still hugely significant in Wales and will impact on most aspects of Welsh life."
Voters were invited to contact the Wales Office by e-mail or letter.
So how many responses did the Wales Office get to its appeal for the people of Wales to play a full and active role?
Er, 18.
Peter Hain said: "I now want to ensure that the people of Wales can have a full and active role in the development of the UK Government’s policy programme, which is still hugely significant in Wales and will impact on most aspects of Welsh life."
Voters were invited to contact the Wales Office by e-mail or letter.
So how many responses did the Wales Office get to its appeal for the people of Wales to play a full and active role?
Er, 18.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Hey big spender?
There's a bit of a row, as you might expect, over the increase in the Wales Office budget - at a time when other government departments are told to tighten their belts on administration costs.The Wales Office (the Whitehall department that represents Welsh interests at Westminster) will see its budget rise from £4.68 m to £8.44m next year, although the figures are disputed by the department itself.
I've just interviewed Peter Hain's deputy, Huw Irranca-Davies, who explained that when you include LCOs, front-loading, framework powers, revenue spending and exclude capital spending, it's nowhere near as big as 80 per cent - although the jargon did leave me struggling by the end of that answer.
The £4m increase is a drop in the ocean of an overall Welsh budget of £14bn but that won't stop opposition parties highlighting the scale of the rise.
Oh, and here's a photograph of the Secretary of State for Wales (he's on the left), showing how the countryside is still open. Peter Hain may have an Aga, but his wellies are definitely not green.
Monday, 8 October 2007
Radio silence at Wales Office
They have a funny old news sense in the Wales Office, the Whitehall department that represents Welsh interests but has no executive functions.
A few weeks ago they were trying to persuade us that a Minister climbing Snowdon was a story - would we like to interview him?
Perhaps not. How about his incredibly newsworthy visit to a salt factory on Anglesey? Probably not worth holding the front page for.
Then there was his absorbing visit to Llangollen. I think something else may have hit the headlines that day.
Today, with the Prime Minister answering questions about his decision not to call an election, we thought we'd like to speak to a Minister.
We rang the Wales Office. You can guess the reply.
A few weeks ago they were trying to persuade us that a Minister climbing Snowdon was a story - would we like to interview him?
Perhaps not. How about his incredibly newsworthy visit to a salt factory on Anglesey? Probably not worth holding the front page for.
Then there was his absorbing visit to Llangollen. I think something else may have hit the headlines that day.
Today, with the Prime Minister answering questions about his decision not to call an election, we thought we'd like to speak to a Minister.
We rang the Wales Office. You can guess the reply.
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Say it with flowers
Cost to the taxpayer of sending flowers from the Wales Office last year: £40
Cost to the taxpayer of finding out how much the Wales Office spent on flowers (via parliamentary question from Fareham MP Mark Hoban: £134.
That's the average cost of answering a written parliamentary question (2005 estimate) - and we still don't know who got the flowers.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Taxi for Hain!
Just in case you've spent the summer wondering how the Wales Office spends our money, here are a few answers from the man in charge, Peter Hain, all culled from parliamentary answers released today.
"The Wales Office expenditure on first class rail tickets for the last 12 months was £72,142.82."
"In the past 12 months my Department has spent £4,440 on first class flights and £2,946.50 on business class flights." (Two officials accompanied Peter Hain on a trip to the United States - the Northern Ireland Office picked up his own first class tab).
"In the last 12 months my Department has spent £2,548.87 on taxis."
The Wales Office also spent £40 on flowers. The recipient's name is not revealed.
I'm told that all the figures refer to civil servants rather than Ministers.
Thursday, 6 September 2007
For Wales, see England
Some interesting thoughts from the ever-thoughtful Adam Price, faithfully reproduced by the Western Mail this morning.
Price points out that public spending per head is slightly higher in the North East of England than it is in Wales and draws the conclusion that Wales would be better off as a region of England, although presumably he's not proposing a redrawing of national boundaries.
It's an interesting contribution to the debate over how Wales is funded, although I had hoped to make it through September without referring to the Barnett formula.
The source of his figures is the Treasury. The difference between Wales and North East England in 2006/7 is estimated at £38 per head - spending in Wales is higher than in seven of the other eight regions of England, London being the exception.
Spending on health is £110 higher per head, education is £32 per head higher in the North East, a region thought comparable to Wales due to its heavy industrial past and the consequences of that.
The difference in health spending can't be attributed solely to the overall level of funding - it's a question of priorities for the Welsh Assembly Government (and its new Plaid Cymru Ministers?).
Price poses interesting questions too for the UK Government and the Wales Office. Its response: “The Barnett formula delivers a stable funding base for Wales - £14 billion this year - and there is no guarantee that replacing it would provide a better deal for Wales.
“Spending per head in Wales is 11 per cent higher than the UK average and 14 per cent above the average for England - that is £1,000 a head more in Wales than across England."
Price points out that public spending per head is slightly higher in the North East of England than it is in Wales and draws the conclusion that Wales would be better off as a region of England, although presumably he's not proposing a redrawing of national boundaries.
It's an interesting contribution to the debate over how Wales is funded, although I had hoped to make it through September without referring to the Barnett formula.
The source of his figures is the Treasury. The difference between Wales and North East England in 2006/7 is estimated at £38 per head - spending in Wales is higher than in seven of the other eight regions of England, London being the exception.
Spending on health is £110 higher per head, education is £32 per head higher in the North East, a region thought comparable to Wales due to its heavy industrial past and the consequences of that.
The difference in health spending can't be attributed solely to the overall level of funding - it's a question of priorities for the Welsh Assembly Government (and its new Plaid Cymru Ministers?).
Price poses interesting questions too for the UK Government and the Wales Office. Its response: “The Barnett formula delivers a stable funding base for Wales - £14 billion this year - and there is no guarantee that replacing it would provide a better deal for Wales.
“Spending per head in Wales is 11 per cent higher than the UK average and 14 per cent above the average for England - that is £1,000 a head more in Wales than across England."
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