Get involved...
Home News Welsh Blogs Wales - World Nation
November 2006 Archives
November 30, 2006
Having it off.
The St Andrew's Day Holiday (Scotland) Bill was approved by Parliament on Wednesday November 29, 2006.
Best wishes to all Scots on this day. One Scotland outlines what's on offer.
Not forgetting our western neighbours also know how to celebrate their national identity.
In Wales we have The Annual National St David's Day Parade.
No sign of a day off yet (not even voluntary) because the British don't want it.
November 29, 2006
SMOKING FOR BRITAIN
In Sweden:
The Tobacco Act has been revised numerous times; the 1997 amendment comprised a ban on tobacco sales to minors (under the age of 18) and tighter advertising controls in the media have since been included to bring legislation further in line with the EU directive on tobacco.
In Finland:
In 1995 smoking was restricted by law in such a way that no employee is exposed to tobacco smoke against his or her will. Additionally, the age limit of selling tobacco products was raised to 18 years, and also indirect tobacco advertising and sponsoring were prohibited.
In Wales:
Health Minister Brian Gibbons today said he supported raising the legal age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18.But he said the Welsh Assembly Government was not planning to adopt a Scottish proposal to raise the smoking age.
Dr Gibbons told reporters at the Government’s weekly press conference: "We have looked at that. I think there is certainly merit in that myself.
"The Department of Health in England are looking at this as well.
"But I don’t think we have got any concrete proposals.
The sooner Wales legislates itself, the sooner our health will improve, imagine the health benefits the people of Wales would be enjoying now if Wales had passed its own laws banning sales of tobacco to under 18's a decade ago.
Why wait any longer for the British to act?
November 28, 2006
New Nations and States, Forward not Back
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said the outcome of the vote means that federalist and sovereigntists finally agree that Quebec is a nation. "We're a nation within Canada now and we'll be a nation and a sovereign country in the near future," he said.
Closer to home.
Twelve years after the Velvet divorce: Slovaks upbeat, Czechs grumpy
"After 12 years of living apart the prevalent opinion in both countries is that the divorce was the right thing to do. At the time more people were against the break-up than in favour, but today people have accepted it and most of them say that, with hindsight, it was the right decision."
British Unionism is an old-fashioned backward step, a completely regressive step, totally wrong and totally contrary to where the modern world is moving.
November 27, 2006
Independence for England
‘Nearly 70 per cent of English people want their own parliament. Meanwhile half, according to the latest opinion polls, favour a complete breakaway from the remainder of the UK.‘
Those British MP‘s elected from Wales might care to read the Yorkshire Post, it seems the English are waking up to the injustice of British rule.
Also of interest (perhaps to the MP for Neath).
in the UK context the relatively prosperous South East with major concentrations of companies seeks to capture tax from those moving into the region to gain access to its markets. The loss of revenue from a cut in Corporation tax would be significant. On the other hand more peripheral regions with a smaller tax base can use a strategy of lower Corporation tax to promote themselves as attractive profit centres for FDI without suffering large losses of tax from existing enterprises. This form of analysis suggests that a unified Corporation tax rate may not be optimal for different regions within the UK
The study, Assessing the Case for a Differential Rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland, is available from ERINI on request.
Wales needs to have tax varying powers to benefit our own economy.
November 25, 2006
CHOCOLATES
A few chocolates I could not resist from the Scotsman.
"Two and a half million Scots have relatives in England. Hundreds of thousands work there, some, as you know, in quite important positions."
Many Irish people live and work in Wales very successfully, including our Health Minister, yet I here no calls from Ireland to rejoin the Union.
"It got better. Tony raised the prospect of England being nuked and mocked the Nats for apparently believing "the fall-out will stop at Carter Bar"
That is a silly thing to say, does the British Prime Minister believe that the reason France is not in the Union is because they believe the fall out will stop at the English channel.
"The Union to me is not a constitution. It's a message to the world. And the message is: let's all laugh at Scotland." All right, I made up the last bit.
I wonder how many people in Wales will turn up to hear this spin. (I think in Scotland it was all of 500)
In other news Tourism chiefs back St Andrew’s Day drive.
November 24, 2006
A Science Policy for Wales
Compare and contrast:
In Wales “it is an unusual leadership role in that science government policy and its funding are largely undevolved.” - Rhodri Morgan
In Ireland there is an Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation An Comhairle Eolaíochta.
In Finland there is The Science and Technology Policy Council of Finland.
In Wales “it is not feasible for a small country of only 3 million people to undertake a moon-rocket programme. - Rhodri Morgan
In Ireland population 3.5 million, "the strategy establishes agendas for public sector research in Agriculture, Health, Environment and Natural Resources."
In Finland population 5 million, "new areas of focus must be created alongside them from a group of promising branches, including at least biotechnology, new materials, software, knowledge-intensive services, the entire well-being cluster, and the most recent area: nanotechnology.
In Wales "We can raise our game even when operating in a non-devolved sector like science.” - Rhodri Morgan
In Ireland the vision is, "Ireland will be by 2013 internationally renowned for the excellence of its research, and will be at the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation driven culture."
In Finland the "strategy is to ensure sustainable and balanced social and economic
development. However, it is crucial for the economic development to be connected to the
other developments in society and the environment as well as to increasing the well-being
of the population. In addition to other factors, the positive development is maintained by
the high level of education of the population as well as versatile development and
application of knowledge and expertise. These mostly self-created national strengths must
be retained in the future as well.
Sources:
A Science Policy for Wales
Strategy for Science,Technology and Innovation
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION
I could go on but I will stop now.
Wales (like the countries it competes with globally) must take control of its's own Science policy and the Welsh taxpayers money collected by the British to pay for British research.
November 23, 2006
British Democracy a Myth?
Best functioning democracies
1. Sweden
2. Iceland
3. Netherlands
4. Norway
5. Denmark
6. Finland
7. Luxembourg
8. Australia
9. Canada
10. Switzerland
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit democracy index 2006
The British come in 23rd with comments like:
In Britain low political participation (the lowest in the developed world) is a major problem, and to a lesser extent, for now, so are eroding civil liberties.
Continue reading "British Democracy a Myth?" »
November 22, 2006
Welsh versus British
For the Welsh the official name is St Fagans National History Museum.
For the British who have the right to market Wales as a tourist destination overseas the official name is Museum of Welsh Life. (scroll down a bit - perhaps they don't like Wales using the word National in describing ourselves.)
Confused? Tourists are.
Why would the British ignore the official Welsh name?
Maybe because:
As the national tourism agency VisitBritain is responsible for marketing Britain worldwide and for developing England’s visitor economy
November 21, 2006
Free Public Transport Option
Can you imagine free train travel between Cardiff and Newport or even Cardiff and Swansa.
First of all though you will have to imagine that politicians directly elected by Welsh people and accountable to them are in control of transport policy in Wales. The reality is that a Brit - Douglas Alexander elected from a constituency in Scotland still calls the shots for Wales.
In a trail in Denmark passenger numbers increased by 25 percent, one-third of whom would normally have driven.
November 20, 2006
Gas Pipeline Transit Fees
How much money is the Welsh Government to get in Transit Fees after allowing a gas pipeline to be laid across Wales to meet demand in England?
This can be an important source of revenue.
Thus, as long as Belarus keeps transit fees on their current competitive levels, the Russian side has an incentive to transit as much gas as possible through Belarus
November 18, 2006
The James James Express
The James James Express - a Welsh train with a Welsh crew could solve this problem.
The British will not.
Comfortable travel by train by a state owned company operating even outside its borders.
November 17, 2006
KEEPING THE PEACE
Overall, the role of the US is considered negative by the global population regarding peace in the world
Continue reading "KEEPING THE PEACE" »
November 16, 2006
Flanders DC
Flanders DC is a young and ambitious organisation tasked with making Flanders a world player in the area of creativity.
No mention of Belgium then.
Do we need a Wales version of this?
November 15, 2006
The Right to Decide
British Corporate taxes rates continue to suppress Wales's aspiration to creates a competitive business environment to suit its's own needs - the situation could worsen still.
88%.
British MP's elected from non Welsh constituencies retain the right to decide if Wales can have a referendum on the establishment of a Parliament for Wales.
Catalunya has its own water rights. (The Generalitat is the Government of Catalunya). The British retain the right to decide Wales's water rights.
ARTICLE 117. WATER AND HYDRAULIC WORKS
The Generalitat has exclusive authority in matters concerning water pertaining to intra-community basins, which includes in any case:
Administrative organisation, planning and management of surface and underground water, the uses and exploitations of water and also hydraulic works that are not qualified as being of general interest.
Planning and adoption of measures and specific instruments for the management and protection of water resources and aquatic and water-associated terrestrial ecosystems.
Extraordinary measures, when required, to guarantee water supply.
Organisation of water administration in Catalonia, including user participation.
Regulation and implementation of activities related to land consolidation and irrigation works.
In the terms established by State legislation, the Generalitat shall have executive powers concerning public water resources and works of general interest. In the same terms, the Generalitat shall participate in planning and programming works of general interest.
The Generalitat participates in hydrological planning and in the State bodies managing water resources and harnessing resources in intra-community basins. The Generalitat, within its territorial area, has executive power over:
Adoption of additional protection and sanitation measures for water resources and aquatic ecosystems.
Execution and exploitation of State-owned works, where established by agreement.
The policing powers concerning public water resources assigned by State legislation.
The Generalitat shall issue a mandatory report on all proposals for transfer from basins which imply a modification of water resources in its territory.
The Generalitat participates in hydrological planning for water resources and water exploitation installations located in Catalan territory or those of territories outside the Spanish State that terminate in Catalonia, in accordance with the mechanisms established in Title V and participates in the execution of said planning in the terms established by State legislation.
November 14, 2006
Joint declaration commits Scotland and Ireland to work together.
Wales has a memorandum of Understanding with Latvia on the eastern border of the EU.
Why hasn't Wales got one with Ireland?
The Scots know direct Government to Government relationships are profitable.
Which countries do you think our First Minister should visit immediately after his election in 2007?
I suggest.
1. England
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. France
5. Netherlands
Continue reading "Joint declaration commits Scotland and Ireland to work together." »
November 13, 2006
Affordable Child Care
All children below school age are entitled to receive municipal (equivalent of County Councils in Wales) daycare either at a daycare centre or in family daycare. Daycare costs are calculated according to the size of your family and your income. They range between EUR 18-200 (12-135 British pounds) a month. The costs start to decline if you have a second child in daycare. Daycare services are free for low income families.
OR
At pre-school facilities (pre-schools and family daycare units), the fee charged may be no more than 1–3 % of the family’s income, depending on how many children the family has. The fee may not, however, exceed SEK 1,260 (93 British pound) per month for the family’s first child, SEK 840 (62 British pound) for the second child, and SEK 420 (31 British pound) for the third child.
In the school-age childcare system (leisure-time centres and family daycare units), the fee charged may be no more than 1–2 % of the family’s income. The fee may not, however, exceed SEK 840 per month for the family’s first child and SEK 420 for the second and third child.
Welsh children deserve the best.
November 11, 2006
Tough on Poverty - Tough on the Causes of Poverty
For how many more years are Welsh children going to have to endure poverty? Just having child poverty action plans published by public bodies is a cop out.
Raising the standard of living, of ALL living in Wales must be the duty of every Welsh Government.
The latest Human Development Report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has just been published.
The UNDP places each country's life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living under the microscope. Every year since 1993 the organisation has used the resultant Human Development Index (HDI) to gauge development around the world.
The top five countries were.
1. Norway
2. Iceland
3. Australia
4. Ireland
5. Sweden
While Britain crashed to 18th place. We all know Wales scores below the British average in terms of life expectancy, literacy, education and standard of living.
Two former British colonies in the top five. Any wonder the British don't want this news in the media.
Self Government with laws and policies designed to suit the needs of their own population seems to be the formulae for success.
There are no calls from the Irish to reintroduce British rule - the evidence shows they are right.
November 10, 2006
Dr WHO from WHERE
The leaders at BBC Wales are missing out on a great opportunity to promote Wales's creative industries around the world.
Continue reading "Dr WHO from WHERE" »
November 9, 2006
PLASTIC
The Irish have the power to make a levy.
The National Assembly in Quebec has a Bill introduced.
The British won't let the Welsh care for their own environment.
November 8, 2006
Tales from two Heralds
Irish President is proud to talk about economic success drawing attention to Dublin's independent powers and its control over business tax.
Continue reading "Tales from two Heralds" »
November 7, 2006
For Britain… Read England?
If the criteria for marketing is to raise a few eyebrows, then the promotional leaflet sent to operators in Wales towards the end of October with the VisitBritain logo and headed “Official tourist board guides” certainly did that.
Continue reading "For Britain… Read England?" »
November 6, 2006
Who owns Wales's seabed? - not Wales that's for sure.
Answer - The Crown Estate which owns virtually the entire seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit.
Continue reading "Who owns Wales's seabed? - not Wales that's for sure." »
November 4, 2006
Wales's Loughborough
The university would help domestic preparation of Scots bidding for the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games for which Glasgow is in the running. more
Continue reading "Wales's Loughborough" »
November 3, 2006
November 2, 2006
The Trends
Catalan Nationalists win elections and in Scotland a clear majority of Scots favour independence.
Continue reading "The Trends" »
November 1, 2006
Holiday Homes
Under current Danish law, only citizens can own Danish vacation homes. Danish politicians secured the opt out in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty to ensure that citizens from other countries, particularly coast-starved Germans, could not snap-up premium seaside property.
Continue reading "Holiday Homes" »