In an address to Assembly Members in the Senedd, First Minister Carwyn Jones set out his Programme for Government for the current Assembly term. It outlines Welsh Ministers’ priorities and comes ahead of the Welsh Government’s Draft Budget, which is published next week.
The Programme includes actions Ministers will be taking, how progress will be measured and what outcomes we want to see for the people of Wales. It is a programme for all of Wales and sets out which organisations will be involved in delivering the programme with the Welsh Government.
The Programme for Government will be updated annually and a progress report published every year. Key commitments include:
- Establish a Welsh jobs fund.
- Increase access to GP services.
- Funding 500 new community support officers.
- Increasing frontline spending in schools.
- Doubling the number of children benefitting from the ‘Flying Start’ programme.
- Introducing a statutory Literacy and Numeracy Framework, supported by national reading and maths tests.
- Moves to release more public land for affordable housing.
- An anti-poverty action plan by next year that will bring together all the devolved policy levers.
- Increase the number of organ donors in Wales.
- Create new marine conservation zones.
- Press for an independent review for S4C.
- Publish a five-year Welsh Language Strategy.
“Our focus is on benefiting people – on working together to create a fairer and more prosperous country – and a society in which everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
“Our decisions are not only about creating a ‘better today’, but look forward to ensure a ‘better tomorrow’ – delivering improvements for the lives of our children, and for the lives of our children’s children.
“We will create more apprenticeships for young people to offer them a better start to their working lives; we’ll establish new health checks for the over 50s and focus on a healthier society; and we’ll strengthen communities through Wales, funding 500 more Police Community Support Officers.
“These improvements will be firmly grounded in our uniquely Welsh approach to fairness and sustainability - a commitment that goes beyond the narrow concept of ‘greenness’, and delivers our vision for the economic and environmental wellbeing of our communities.
“Once a year we’ll be reporting back on progress so people can see what we’ve delivered, and how these changes have improved their lives. We need the energy and commitment of the whole country - the public sector, the third sector and our business community. If we pull together we’ll go further and get there faster.
“This is what devolution is about - working together to create the future we want for Wales, a future that’s prosperous and a future that’s healthy.”
For more information please call the Welsh Government press office on 029 2082 1823
The full Programme of Government can be found at:
http://wales.gov.uk/programmeforgovernment
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