The Welsh Assembly Government is on schedule to deliver on the One Wales programme of Government, First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said today marking the first anniversary of the coalition government
The First Minister said:
The coalition agreement has provided a stable platform for the Assembly Government that enables us to honour our promises to the people of Wales. We are forging ahead with our programme against an increasingly tough financial background. We have every ground for believing that we are well on target to achieve our goals.
Although the One Wales programme is a four year programme work is well advanced on more than half our One Wales commitments.
The Deputy First Minister said:
I am extremely pleased with what we’ve achieved during the last year and the progress we are making in delivering One Wales shows that the coalition is working. There is however much more to be done and we are impatient to get on with the work of delivering these commitments for the benefit of the people of Wales – wherever they live.
They delivered their report on the first anniversary of the signing of the One Wales agreement, and took the opportunity to announce that Gerald Holtham had been appointed chair of the independent commission on funding and finance – fulfilling yet another commitment.
The First Minister said:
On this first anniversary of the historic signing of our One Wales agreement, it’s fair to say that I am delighted with what we have already achieved in all areas including health care, education and the economy – services that have a real impact on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.
Among the achievements of the Welsh Assembly Government in its first year are:
* The All Wales Convention. Members of the Executive Committee were named last week.
* Appointing Gerald Holtham as Chair of the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance.
* Ending the internal market in the NHS.
* Ending competitive tendering for NHS cleaning contracts
* Introducing a new national oral health action plan.
* Investing £15m in an action plan to improve care for people suffering chronic conditions.
* A new NHS Redress Measure giving patients fairer access to compensation when things go wrong.
* Creating a single investment fund, radically changing the way the Assembly Government supports business in Wales.
* A new transport strategy.
* A new Learner Transport Measure to improve school transport and to promote access to Welsh medium education.
* Approving 27 business ventures with a total investment of £504 million with aid from the European Convergence Programme.
* Giving local authorities greater freedom to designate non-development sites for affordable housing.
* An action plan to tackle bovine TB
* Increasing the Social Housing Grant to £107 million per year with a pledge to provide 6,500 affordable new homes over four years.
* Boosting the availability of affordable housing in rural areas.
* Established the Child Poverty Expert Group.
* Investing £10.5 million in Libraries for Life, a three year strategy to improve libraries.
* Investing £200,000 a year in a new daily Welsh language news service to meet the demands of the 21st Century.
The First Minister said:
This Government is delivering on its promises to the people of Wales. I am proud of what we have already achieved, and look forward to delivering more exciting new policies that will benefit the lives of everyone in Wales in the months to come.
