Flemish administration issued 14,000 working permits

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Last year the Flemish administration issued 14,000 working permits to foreigners wanting to work in our country. The lion's share of these foreign workers hail from Poland.

Since 1 June 2006 foreign workers may be recruited to do jobs for which there are no candidates on the Belgian labour market, the so called bottle neck professions.

This contrasts with the situation in the UK, Ireland and Sweden where more people are let in.

Immigration powers should be devolved to Wales also. To stop the exploitation of foreign and local workers and to ensure that funding for Wales's Public Services is properly maintained.

WALES could be losing out on millions of pounds because official statistics have not kept up with the recent influx of workers from countries such as Poland.

CATALAN ECONOMY GREW BY 4% IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2007

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Growth of 4%, equalling the rate shown in the last quarter of last year, sees the continuation of the long phase of expansion the Catalan economy is undergoing. The figures also show how the growth pattern of the Catalan economy is increasingly healthy and balanced, as industry gradually takes over from construction as the main growth vector. During this first quarter, industry's contribution to growth (0.64 points) has exceeded that of construction (0.43 points).

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DISTINCT POLICING CULTURE

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DRACONIAN stop-and-question powers will not be extended to police forces north of the Border, the Scottish Executive has insisted, signalling a clear split in counter-terrorism strategy with England and Wales. The SNP administration will resist attempts by Westminster to force Scotland to change its policing practices through a new anti-terrorism bill later this year, despite the fact that the UK government claims it is needed to tackle terrorism. But last night, Kenny MacAskill, Scotland's justice secretary, made clear the Executive's concerns. "We do have a distinct policing culture and therefore we are trying to assist these matters in a different way."

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Nationalists win in Bilbao; socialists in San Sebastian, Vitoria

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In the Basque Autonomous Region, where there was an abstention of the 39 percent, citizens elected 2,609 town councillors and 153 county councillors, including the Deputies of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia.

Results in Basque capitals

With 100 percent of ballots counted, in Bilbao the Basque Nationalist Party PNV won the highest percentage of votes, 41.8 and 13 seats, followed by conservative PP with a 22.44 and 8 seats, and socialist PSE with 22.08 percent and 7 seats. In Vitoria-Gasteiz socialists (31.36 percent and 9 seats) narrowly overcame the results of conservatives (29.74 percent and 9 seats), who have been running the Basque capital for a long time. The third force was PNV with a 21.89 percent of votes and 6 seats. In Donostia-San Sebastian socialists retained the mayor's office with a 37.43 percent of ballots and 11 seats, followed by conservatives with a 21.38 percent and 6 seats, and PNV with a 17.20 percent and 5 seats.

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The Budget at a glance

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With this budget, we are changing the course of things. We are reducing your income tax. We are making our economy more competitive. We are investing in our knowledge and health. We are renovating our infrastructure. We are making public administration more transparent and modern. We are making a determined effort to pay down the debt, by banking on our blue gold. We are also becoming more responsible by intelligently undertaking to solve the problem of long-term funding of our health care system. This disciplined, bold budget is a budget of hope. Permeating it is the conviction that we can take up our most demanding challenges in order to create a better life and leave our children the legacy of a more prosperous future. Mr. President, this budget is in line with the priorities of Quebecers. The population wants this parliament to work in a spirit of cooperation. The population is relying on each of us to be responsible. Thank you, Mr. President.

A budget in line with the priorities of the Welsh people next from the Welsh Government please along with the powers like Quebec to vary income tax! As the Quebecers can do it in Canada no valid reason exists for the British to forbid Wales the same tax varying rights.

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DOING IT FOR OURSELVES

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The Finnish government has decided to offer financial assistance to entrepreneurs hiring a first employee.

Likewise in Wales the The All-Wales Accord Agreement Establishing An All-Wales Government states:

The Economy i. We will designate a Minister to lead on developing an enterprise culture. ii. We will establish a grant scheme to promote the growth of social enterprises, co-operatives, intermediate labour markets and credit unions. iii. We will develop a 'green jobs' strategy to develop Wales as a world leader in environmental technology and services. iv. We will introduce a voucher scheme to allow businesses to commission the business advice services they need. v. We will develop an economic strategy for rural Wales based on the promotion of regional growth centres. vi. We will review planning regulations and practice with a view to removing any unnecessary roadblocks to economic development vii. We will extend business rate-relief to include self-catering establishments. viii. We will launch a sea-side towns initiative, where possible linked to the Convergence Fund, to help improve the infrastructure of our coastal resorts.

Like every other European Country, Wales needs to develop it's own policies to fulfill it's potential. Just doing what the British allow means Wales will forever lag behind our European neighbours.

GAME ON

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Alex Salmond would have preferred the 100-day programme he had set out on the election campaign trail: an action-packed agenda for new laws, more spending, challenges to Westminster power and setting the independence ball rolling. But the start to his administration was less a time for bold announcements than one for gentle persuasion. All his intentions as First Minister involved appealing for opposition support, and flattering opponents as he adopted their ideas

I look forward to the most outward-looking government Wales has ever had - influencing debate in EU as well.

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COWBOYS

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Section 5 The contractor’s obligations to check Before the «contractor» concludes a contract on the use of a temporary agency worker or on work based on a subcontract, the contractor shall require from the contracting partner, and he or she shall provide the contractor with: 1) an account of whether the enterprise is entered in the Prepayment Register in compliance with the Act on Prepayment of Tax (1118/1996) and the Employer Register, and is registered as VAT-liable in the Value Added Tax Register in compliance with the Value Added Tax Act (1501/1993); 2) an extract from the Trade Register; 3) a certificate of tax payment or of tax debt, or an account that a payment plan has been made regarding a tax debt; 4) certificates of pension insurances taken out and of pension insurance premiums paid, or an account that a payment agreement on outstanding pension insurance premiums has been made; and 5) an account of the collective agreement or the principal terms of employment applicable to the work.

How about a Welsh Act on the contractor’s obligations and liability when work is
contracted out, to promote equal competition between enterprises, to
ensure observance of the terms of employment and to create the conditions in which
enterprises and organisations governed by public law can ensure that enterprises
concluding contracts with them on temporary agency work or subcontracted labour
discharge their statutory obligations as contracting parties and employers?

Europe's biggest clean coal project

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Details of the refitting of Longannet and Cockenzie power stations with clean coal technology were announced today as part of what will be Europe's biggest clean coal project. First Minister Alex Salmond, on his first official visit as FM, joined the Chairman of Scottish Power, Ignacio Galan, at Longannet to discuss the plan that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Wales needs a First Minister who will look after the interest of Wales first rather than kow-tow to the British. Responsibility for all energy matters for Wales must immediately transfered to the Senedd just as is the case in Scotland.

The First Minister said: "It is crucial, not only for Scotland but for the planet, that we achieve a low carbon economy. We must do this not just by exploiting our nation's renewables potential but also by deploying expertise in clean coal and indeed hydrocarbon technology. "If we can reduce carbon emissions, coal can play a vital role in giving Scotland the diversity of energy sources which is essential for security of energy supply. "I want to see Scottish-based companies make Scotland greener and I also want to see them benefit from exporting their expertise throughout the world. "The Scottish Power-Iberdrola Group are setting a global example by striving to harness the opportunities these technologies offer. In doing so they are supported by the expertise of Renfrew based Doosnan Babcock. "I am determined to ensure that Scotland takes a lead on clean energy ,to the benefit of both the environment and our economy- achieving genuinely sustainable growth."

SPLIT UP

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The Flemish Christian democrats dominated Belgian politics for more than 50 years. However, they were ousted from power by a liberal-socialist-green coalition that was formed after the 1999 federal elections. Since then the party has changed its name from the CVP (Christian People's Party) to the CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish) and entered into an alliance with the Flemish nationalist party N-VA (New Flemish Alliance). At their conference in Brussels on 19 May the Flemish nationalists said they wanted to be involved in negotiations to make Flanders stronger after the general election. The N-VA also called for more justice and respect and correct attitudes. The N-VA was formed from the more radical wing of the now defunct Flemish nationalist party Volksunie (People's Union), after the Volksunie split in 2001. The alliance currently has ministers in both the Flemish and Greater Brussels regional governments with the Christian democrat Yves Leterme being the current Prime Minister of Flanders. Mr Leterme heads the party's slate for the elections to the Belgian Senate. The N-VA's Geert Bourgeois is the Flemish government minister responsible for administrative affairs, foreign policy, media and tourism. The alliance hopes to form the biggest group in the Federal Parliament, after the elections on 10 June.

WHO

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The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). It meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from the 193 Member States. The main function of the World Health Assembly is to determine the policies of the Organization.

Health is a devolved matter and Wales should be a member of WHO, after all Wales is not represented in the World Health Assembly's British delegation who are responsible for health in England only. Only the British would be against Wales's membership.

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Labour goes into coalition with the Tories

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Labour and Conservative councillors last night agreed an unlikely alliance to form the administration for a Scottish council. It is believed to be the first time in recent memory that Labour and the Conservatives have formed a two-party coalition. East Dunbartonshire Council will be a Labour-Tory coalition with Labour's Rhondda Geekie as leader and the Tories' Billy Hendry as deputy.

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BASQUE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE

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During the last two decades, the Basque Government has developed a policy on science and technology aimed at supporting the Basque Country’s existing industrial fabric and preparing it to face the challenges of the future.. A strategy has been designed that seeks to position the capabilities of all the players involved in its innovations system in an international context, supporting economic growth and diversification into future science and technology based sectors, and responding to the new needs of a dynamic, complex and global society.

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Minister Rejects Call for University Tuition Fees

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Minister of Education Sari Sarkomaa says that there are no plans to institute tuition fees for Finnish university students. She notes that free education from preschool through university is part of the government's policy programme.

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WALES STATE RAILWAYS

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DSB has been an independent public corporation since 1 January 1999. DSB is wholly owned by the Danish Ministry of Transport. DSB carries some 157 million passengers every year and operates approx. 80 per cent of passenger train services in Denmark. DSB will enter into a new ten-year contract with the Ministry of Transport, and the contract will become effective as from 1 January 2005. DSB's monopoly on nation-wide passenger services formally came to an end on 1 January 2000. Today, Danish legislation distinguishes between two types of passenger services carried out as public service transport: 'negotiated' services and 'tendered' services. In addition, passenger services can be operated as 'free' services. The Minister of Transport has the authority to invite tenders for contracts for public service transport. In December 2000, 15 per cent of DSB's train services outside the S-train network were put up for tender. And in December 2001 The Ministry of Transport announced that a new rail operator had won the tender for a number of railway lines in central and western Jutland.

A Measure can be passed at the Senedd to create an independent public corporation 100% owned by the Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Department of the Welsh Government. To operate the trains in Wales to satisfy the needs of Wales alone. Rather than pay subsidies to a privately owned company.

Remember, Arriva Trains Wales received a total cash subsidy of £46.4 million for the period from franchise commencement on 8 December 2003 to 31 March 2004. It received a total cash subsidy of £97.8 million for the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.

Plastic bottles and metal cans

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New rules form 1 January 2006
The most important aspects of the new rules are the following:

* The rules comprise plastic bottles and metal cans containing ready-to-drink beverages. This means, among other things, that cans that have been imported into Sweden shall also be comprised by an approved recovery system.

* It shall be evident from the cans and bottles which recovery system they belong to, and how much money is paid upon their return.

* The Board of Agriculture will inform the general public via this web site about the approved recovery systems.

* Plastic bottles and metal cans may not be sold unless they are comprised by an approved recovery system.

* Each recovery system shall pay an annual fee of SEK 10 000 to the Board of Agriculture. In addition, the recovery systems shall pay an annual fee of SEK 10 000 for each participant to the Board of Agriculture.

* Environmental sanction fees are introduced. This means that anyone who sells or in any other way transfers ready-to-drink beverages in plastic bottles or metal cans, and who is not a member of an approved recovery system and whose products do not bear information about which recovery system they belong to, may have to pay a fee of no more than SEK 50 000.

* The Board of Agriculture and the municipalities are responsible for monitoring the system.

Have a look at the Link to SFS 2005:220 Ordinance on deposit-and-return system for plastic bottles and metal cans. This can be a model for a Measure from the Senedd.

Swedish Code of Statutes SFS 2005:220

Published 26 April 2005

Ordinance on deposit-and-return system for plastic bottles and metal cans;
promulgated 14 April 2005

The Government of Sweden hereby enacts1 the following

Definitions
Section 1
The following definitions shall apply for the purposes of this Ordinance:
plastic bottle: container made primarily of polymer materials, and metal can: container made of metal.

Requirement on approved deposit-return system
Section 2
Anyone who commercially packages ready-to-drink beverages in plastic bottles or metal cans or commercially imports to Sweden ready-to-drink beverages in plastic bottles or metal cans shall ensure that the bottle or can is included in an approved deposit-and-return system.........

The Swedes do not put plastic boxes full of empty beer cans out on the pavement. The British system we are using in Wales for recycling is not fit for purpose, better to design our own.

Competitiveness Performance

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Of the 55 countries ranked by IMD, the US still ranks No. 1 in 2007, closely followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. However, 40 economies are now increasing or maintaining their competitiveness compared to the US - in other words, “closing the gap”. Only 15 are losing ground. For the first time, the ranking indicates not only the competitive position of nations in 2007 but also their ability to catch up with the leader (the US). These trends are based on past competitive performance, drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database on world competitiveness built up over two decades by IMD. Click here to download the "Competitiveness in Perspective" chart.

Small nations that govern themselves are ahead of the British and small nations that govern themselves are catching up with the USA. Why aren't the British media reporting this?

Trade union group seeks boardroom ban on English

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Norway's powerful trade union federation, LO, wants the state to demand that board meetings of Norwegian stocklisted companies be conducted in Norwegian, not English. LO also wants all board documents to be prepared in Norwegian. The trade union group is clearly worried that a growing number of internationally oriented companies in Norway are adopting English as their working language. "This is a democratic problem, because it blocks a large portion of the (Norwegian) population from being able to be board members," Ellen Stensrud, a top official with LO, told newspaper Dagsavisen on Tuesday.

Mother tongue language rights a necessity in today's world.

Who should get Wales's gaming revenue?

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The Court believes that the monopoly on gaming activities based on the Act on Gaming is in line with EU legislation, and bases its decision on European Court of Justice rulings. These have stated that a national monopoly arrangement is acceptable when it is based on grounds of the public interest and is non-discriminatory. Veikkaus, whose revenue from operations passes in large measure to the government for redisbursement back to the public purse, has actively marketed its products and services, thereby increasing turnover and indirectly the state's income from gambling.

Yet another example of a small full member state of the EU interpreting laws to suit it's own needs. No reason why there could not be a Wales gambling monopoly other than opposition from British interests.

High Court rules for flexible parental leave

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A case over how parents may use their leave when caring for a newborn ended with a ruling from the Eastern High Court that mothers and fathers may divide weekdays off work between them, reported Nyhedsavisen newspaper. Under Danish law, parents have the right to split a total of 46 weeks of leave from their work. Most take the leave in months-long blocks. But the new rule upholds the right, for example, for one parent to take time off Monday and Tuesday, while the other takes Wednesday to Friday off.

Time for some Welsh Law to help parents too!

Commencement of the Prisons Act 2007

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The Tanaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, today announced that he has signed an order bringing into operation from 1 May, 2007 a substantial number of the provisions contained in the Prisons Act 2007. The Act, which was signed into law on 31 March 2007, deals with a range of issues relating to prisons and prisoners and is another significant step forward in the modernisation of our Prison Service.

Given that major prison developments are of national interest appropriate provision is made in this legislation to facilitate such consultation.

Powers over prisons in Wales needs to be devolved. The Welsh government must take full responsibility for the location of new prisons in Wales.

CHWARAE TEG

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LABOUR lost what was left of its grip on Scotland's councils last night, ceding control of all but two of the country's local authorities. In the first elections for the 32 councils under the single transferable vote, Labour lost control of 11 councils - and councillors in nearly every authority. Across Scotland the new proportional representation system saw Nationalists ready to take their places in council chambers which have never before heard SNP voices.

The Scots have dumped the British model of First Past the Post for local government elections, Wales should not hesitate to do the same.

Environmental health care protects health from dangers within the environment

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The National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health (STTV) coordinates the national supervision and guidance of environmental health care legislation and develops the supervisory activities.

How about our own Wales - National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health legislated for through a Legislative Competence Order in the new Senedd?

Legislative and supervisory powers

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In recent years, six political formations have played a significant role in Flemish parliamentary elections: the Liberals (VLD), the Christian Democrats (CD&V), the Social Democrats (SP.A), the Green party (Groen!), the Democratic Flemish Nationalists and the Extreme Right (Vlaams Belang). More recently two smaller parties were added. The New Flemish Alliance (NVA) and SPIRIT (social and progressive party). Traditionally no single party ever gets a majority of votes. After the elections, two or more parties consult to form a majority together. The government therefore has always been a coalition government. None of the democratic parties want to enter into a coalition with the extreme right.

Wales and it's people need a proper Parliament.