Session 2009/10

Last modified 10 December 2009

Government Bills with specific provisions or implications for Wales in Session 2009-10

Bill Notes

Children, Schools and Families Bill Framework Power for the National Assembly for Wales regarding regulation of home education; There are two other mirror provisions for Wales in relation to an obligation for schools to provide information to Welsh Ministers, and, separately, information sharing for children’s safeguarding purposes.

Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill Framework power for the National for Wales to legislate on the governance and organisational structures of the Wales Audit Office;

Civil Service provisions will enable Minister for the Civil Service to issue separate codes of conduct for civil servants and special advisers in the Welsh Assembly Government (after consulting the First Minister); and require First Minister to report annually to the Assembly on special advisers.

Introduce a one-year time limit for human rights claims brought against the Welsh Ministers under the Government of Wales Act.

Enable Welsh Ministers to designate bodies so that estimates of their expenditure are included in the Assembly’s annual Budget motion.

Equality Bill Makes provisions in relation to age discrimination outside employment area; making public sector equality duties more effective; private sector employers to monitor and report on the diversity of their employees; consolidate existing legislation. Gives Welsh Ministers power to confer specific equalities duties on public bodies carrying out devolved functions and devolved functions of cross-border bodies. Public sector duties will be extended to include age, sexual orientation and belief.

Flood and Water Management Bill Provisions about flood and coastal erosion risk management will make Welsh Ministers responsible for preparing a national strategy and approving local flood risk management strategies; Welsh Ministers will also be able to make regulations about procedures relating to the designation of flood and coastal erosion risks.Provisions about reservoir safety will give Welsh Ministers power to make regulations about the registration of large raised reservoirs and the designation of high-risk reservoirs.Welsh Ministers will have power to make regulations about provision of water and sewerage infrastructure, which may require that projects are put out to tender.

Welsh Ministers will have power to modify circumstances in which water undertakers can impose temporary bans on water use.

Provisions about sustainable drainage will give Welsh Ministers functions, including issuing national standards and guidance.

Personal Care at Home Bill Welsh Ministers will be given the same power to make regulations in this area as the Secretary of State.

Other Bills that apply to Wales 2009-2010

Bribery Bill The Bill will modernise law on bribery to support the highest ethical standards across business and public life and to equip prosecutors and courts to deal effectively with bribery.

Crime and Security Bill The Bill will increase the protection for communities against a range of threats and financial exploitation, violence and anti-social behaviour.

Cluster Munitions Bill The Bill will make it an offence to use, produce, acquire or transfer cluster munitions, in order to give effect to prohibitions imposed by the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Child Poverty Bill The Bill will support the Government’s commitment to set target to eradicate child poverty by 2020. This will mean tackling the underlying causes of poverty rather then just treating the symptoms.

Digital Economy Bill The Bill secures the United Kingdom’s position as one of the world’s leading digital knowledge economies and take forward an active industrial policy to maximise the benefits from the digital revolution.

Energy Bill The Bill will provide for financial support mechanism to bring forward commercial-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration projects. It will also strengthen the powers of the regulators to ensure that social tariffs for energy suppliers are set to help those vulnerable to fuel poverty. The Bill also extend the duties of the regulator, OFGEM, to ensure it takes climate change and consumer protection into account.

Financial Services Bill The Bill will strengthen the financial system and will continue to respond to the global financial crisis to lay the basis for the recovery and success of businesses in the United Kingdom

Fiscal Responsibility Act 2010 The Act aims to reduce the budget deficit, ensuring that the national debt remains sustainable in the medium term.

Video Recordings Act 2010 The Act repeals and revives the Video Recordings Act 1984 to rectify a procedural error made during the passage of the 1984 Act, thereby making the age-rated classification and supply controls contained in that Act enforceable in UK courts.

Terrorist Asset-Freezing (Temporary Provisions) Act 2010 This Act reinstates the Government’s terrorist asset-freezing regime, after the Supreme Court quashed the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 and provisions in the Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006.

Bill	Notes
Children, Schools and Families Bill	Framework Power for the National Assembly for Wales regarding regulation of home education; There are two other mirror provisions for Wales in relation to an obligation for schools to provide information to Welsh Ministers, and, separately, information sharing for children’s safeguarding purposes.
Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill	Framework power for the National for Wales to legislate on the governance and organisational structures of the Wales Audit Office; Civil Service provisions will enable Minister for the Civil Service to issue separate codes of conduct for civil servants and special advisers in the Welsh Assembly Government (after consulting the First Minister); and require First Minister to report annually to the Assembly on special advisers. Introduce a one-year time limit for human rights claims brought against the Welsh Ministers under the Government of Wales Act. Enable Welsh Ministers to designate bodies so that estimates of their expenditure are included in the Assembly’s annual Budget motion.
Equality Bill	Makes provisions in relation to age discrimination outside employment area; making public sector equality duties more effective; private sector employers to monitor and report on the diversity of their employees; consolidate existing legislation. Gives Welsh Ministers power to confer specific equalities duties on public bodies carrying out devolved functions and devolved functions of cross-border bodies. Public sector duties will be extended to include age, sexual orientation and belief.
Flood and Water Management Bill	Provisions about flood and coastal erosion risk management will make Welsh Ministers responsible for preparing a national strategy and approving local flood risk management strategies; Welsh Ministers will also be able to make regulations about procedures relating to the designation of flood and coastal erosion risks.Provisions about reservoir safety will give Welsh Ministers power to make regulations about the registration of large raised reservoirs and the designation of high-risk reservoirs.Welsh Ministers will have power to make regulations about provision of water and sewerage infrastructure, which may require that projects are put out to tender. Welsh Ministers will have power to modify circumstances in which water undertakers can impose temporary bans on water use. Provisions about sustainable drainage will give Welsh Ministers functions, including issuing national standards and guidance.
Personal Care at Home Bill	Welsh Ministers will be given the same power to make regulations in this area as the Secretary of State.

Bribery Bill	The Bill will modernise law on bribery to support the highest ethical standards across business and public life and to equip prosecutors and courts to deal effectively with bribery.
Crime and Security Bill	The Bill will increase the protection for communities against a range of threats and financial exploitation, violence and anti-social behaviour.
Cluster Munitions Bill	The Bill will make it an offence to use, produce, acquire or transfer cluster munitions, in order to give effect to prohibitions imposed by the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Child Poverty Bill	The Bill will support the Government’s commitment to set target to eradicate child poverty by 2020. This will mean tackling the underlying causes of poverty rather then just treating the symptoms.
Digital Economy Bill	The Bill secures the United Kingdom’s position as one of the world’s leading digital knowledge economies and take forward an active industrial policy to maximise the benefits from the digital revolution.
Energy Bill	The Bill will provide for financial support mechanism to bring forward commercial-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration projects. It will also strengthen the powers of the regulators to ensure that social tariffs for energy suppliers are set to help those vulnerable to fuel poverty. The Bill also extend the duties of the regulator, OFGEM, to ensure it takes climate change and consumer protection into account.
Financial Services Bill	The Bill will strengthen the financial system and will continue to respond to the global financial crisis to lay the basis for the recovery and success of businesses in the United Kingdom
Fiscal Responsibility Act 2010	The Act aims to reduce the budget deficit, ensuring that the national debt remains sustainable in the medium term.
Video Recordings Act 2010	The Act repeals and revives the Video Recordings Act 1984 to rectify a procedural error made during the passage of the 1984 Act, thereby making the age-rated classification and supply controls contained in that Act enforceable in UK courts.
Terrorist Asset-Freezing (Temporary Provisions) Act 2010	This Act reinstates the Government’s terrorist asset-freezing regime, after the Supreme Court quashed the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 and provisions in the Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006.

Wales Office

Session 2009/10

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