Thursday, November 06, 2008
The need for reform
Plaid Cymru AM, Helen Mary Jones has an excellent article in this morning's Western Mail explaining why the existing Legislative Competence Order process is not fit for purpose:
The scrutiny process is complicated and wasteful, with one piece of legislation being scrutinised by AMs, then by MPs, and then, in the form of a measure, by AMs again.
Apart from anything else, this puts serious pressure on civil society in Wales.
Take the voluntary organisations that represent carers, for example.
With my LCO, or the Government LCO that has now taken its place, they had to lobby politicians to raise awareness of the issue in the first place, then they had to lobby the Assembly government and AMs to ensure the proposal was approved.
They will have to lobby MPs as it goes through Westminster and then they will have to lobby AMs again when it comes to the measures stage.
Simply put: one for the price of three
There are so many important issues that need dealing with and that need legislating on, that it’s not sensible to tie up these organisations, and the people who work for them, in such a wasteful process.
There’s also the question of capacity – the MPs on the Welsh Affairs select committee are already complaining that they are overburdened.
The AMs have no more spare capacity in their workload. Of course, no-one wants to hear politicians complaining they’re overworked. But there are already AMs who have to run between two committees – there’s no way they can give an issue their full attention and scrutiny in this way.
This is simply not fair on the people we serve.
It is a compelling case for an early referendum to put right this ill-fitting and overly-complex system of government. Like other Plaid members however, her faith in the Labour Government to put things rights is waning:
There is a feeling not unlike the “emperor’s new clothes” around in Welsh Labour at the moment – everyone knows that the settlement’s not right but no-one wants to be the first to stand up and admit it.
It seems that Labour are the only party who are not standing up and shouting about this crazy process.
The scrutiny process is complicated and wasteful, with one piece of legislation being scrutinised by AMs, then by MPs, and then, in the form of a measure, by AMs again.
Apart from anything else, this puts serious pressure on civil society in Wales.
Take the voluntary organisations that represent carers, for example.
With my LCO, or the Government LCO that has now taken its place, they had to lobby politicians to raise awareness of the issue in the first place, then they had to lobby the Assembly government and AMs to ensure the proposal was approved.
They will have to lobby MPs as it goes through Westminster and then they will have to lobby AMs again when it comes to the measures stage.
Simply put: one for the price of three
There are so many important issues that need dealing with and that need legislating on, that it’s not sensible to tie up these organisations, and the people who work for them, in such a wasteful process.
There’s also the question of capacity – the MPs on the Welsh Affairs select committee are already complaining that they are overburdened.
The AMs have no more spare capacity in their workload. Of course, no-one wants to hear politicians complaining they’re overworked. But there are already AMs who have to run between two committees – there’s no way they can give an issue their full attention and scrutiny in this way.
This is simply not fair on the people we serve.
It is a compelling case for an early referendum to put right this ill-fitting and overly-complex system of government. Like other Plaid members however, her faith in the Labour Government to put things rights is waning:
There is a feeling not unlike the “emperor’s new clothes” around in Welsh Labour at the moment – everyone knows that the settlement’s not right but no-one wants to be the first to stand up and admit it.
It seems that Labour are the only party who are not standing up and shouting about this crazy process.
Comments:
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Simple solution: LCO everything at every opportunity!
When none of the LCO end up on the statue books, you have shown that the whole process is fundametally flawed.
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When none of the LCO end up on the statue books, you have shown that the whole process is fundametally flawed.
# posted by 
: 11:41 AM
: 11:41 AM<< Home
