7. Debate: The Programme for Government Annual Report and Legislative Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:37 pm on 11 February 2020.

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Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Plaid Cymru 5:37, 11 February 2020

Now, shortly after the Labour leadership contest was over, a copy of the First Minister's manifesto proved more elusive than the Llandeilo bypass, but thankfully there are copies available, I believe, in the Senedd library. But there are some important outstanding questions that I think need answering on the relationship between that document and the programme for government. The central one is: have all the commitments in that manifesto now been incorporated into the Government's programme, or are there exceptions? Have some been incorporated and others left out? I think that's absolutely essential in terms of how we hold the First Minister to account on the promises, as he referred, that have been made. For example, in relation to the community bank there is a column, isn't there, in the annual report that refers to—? I think the First Minister's manifesto has just arrived, actually. [Laughter.] There we are; a moment of drama. It is still available, from all good bookshops, I'm sure. I read it regularly.

There's a reference I believe—and the First Minister can correct me if I'm wrong—to establishing a community bank in this Assembly term. The annual report now on the programme for government, I believe, talks of discussion with stakeholders with no firm commitment on a timetable for delivery. There is a reference to a new data unit working in partnership with Welsh universities and the public services to use data analysis to improve performance. I think we can all put that in the column of good things, but in the manifesto, the language seems harder in terms of the promise than the language that is now in the programme for government, which talks about it being at the business case stage. There was a commitment to develop a clean air Act. Well, that's certainly been delayed, hasn't it? So, I think we need to know what is the status of all the promises that were made in the First Minister's manifesto? Have they all now been adopted as Government policy? 

Finally, in terms of the second amendment, it is a confusing picture because we had 'Taking Wales Forward' as the initial programme for government. Then we had, a year later, 'Prosperity for All'. We now have an amended programme for government that incorporated some, at least, of the First Minister's personal promises. We have seven well-being objectives, 12 well-being aims, 46 national indicators, more than 150 different measures in this document in terms of the annual report. A lot of reporting, but not enough accountability, because openness is one thing but transparency and an ability to have true accountability I think requires a streamlining here. There are even key performance indicators being developed by the civil service of the Welsh Government separately. And as the auditor general has said himself, you need to align budgets' activity with indicators and outcome measures. At the moment, I think it's difficult for anyone to have a real grasp of whether the Welsh Government is making a difference.