One Wales: One Planet

The Sustainable Development Annual Report 2012-2013

Laid before the National Assembly for Wales 3 December 2013

Digital ISBN 978 1 4734 0640 7 © Crown copyright 2013 WG20230

2

Contents Page Minister’s Foreword – Jeff Cuthbert 3

Commentary for Commissioner for Sustainable Futures 5 Chapter 1: Sustainable Development at the heart of Government 8 Chapter 2: Sustainable Resource Use 12 Chapter 3: Sustaining the Environment 19 Chapter 4: A Sustainable Economy 27 Chapter 5: A Sustainable Society 41 Chapter 6: The Wellbeing of Wales 57 Chapter 7: Effectiveness Review: Update 63 Chapter 8: State of the Estate 68

3

Minister’s Foreword I am pleased to present the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Development Annual Report. This is our fifth report since our Sustainable Development Scheme, One Wales: One Planet, was published in 2009, and the second since we published the Programme for Government in 2011. The report covers the period from April 2012 to March 2013 and outlines how the proposals in the Scheme have been implemented. This is my first Sustainable Development Report

since becoming Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty and I believe that this year’s reports reflects a growing body of evidence that supports not only the Welsh Government’s, but also Wales’ efforts to become more sustainable and fairer nation. The report complements the previous reports we have published as well as the progress report on the delivery of our Programme for Government in June 2013. I would like to thank Peter Davies, Commissioner for Sustainable Futures for his independent commentary on our report. I welcome the challenge that he presents to us in continuing to improve our reporting of sustainable development across government. The Commissioner’s commentary highlights our commitment to openness and transparency and its inclusion is a benchmark of good reporting. I note the Commissioners comments regarding the structure of the SD report and the approach to the Welsh Government’s preparation of future reports and will of course take this into account. We recognise that in order to reflect the pace of change and progress that sustainable development requires we must constantly drive for improvement. Significantly, we are making progress on our proposals for a ground-breaking Future Generations Bill, formerly the Sustainable Development Bill, which will place a duty on us and other public service organisations, to strengthen the framework for sustainable development in Wales. I welcome the Commissioners positive comments in respect of the value he believes the forthcoming Future Generations Bill will bring to sustainable development within Wales. During the reporting period we have consulted extensively on our proposals for the Bill. The response from stakeholders has illustrated the importance and relevance that sustainable development has to Wales. The report aims to capture that enthusiasm by highlighting the work done by the Welsh Government to deliver against the principles set out under the Sustainable Development Scheme.

4

Jeff Cuthbert AM Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

5

Commentary from Commissioner for Sustainable Futures

This is my sixth independent commentary on the Welsh Government’s Annual Sustainable Development report. The Annual Report against the Sustainable Development scheme is an important requirement within the Government of Wales Act and provides an important opportunity for the National Assembly to debate progress on Welsh Government’s duty to “promote sustainable development in all its polices” The process though has brought a discipline and accountability to the Government’s sustainable development commitment, as well as a capacity for the

Commissioner to put forward specific recommendations. Reflecting on progress on last year’s recommendations I am pleased that Estyn are now reviewing Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, that there has been a review and refresh of the Sustainable Development Charter. However the issue of public sector food procurement continues to be a concern with the latest figures showing a reduction in procurement of local food. I would re emphasise the importance of adopting the Food for Life Catering Mark standard across the public sector. However on looking back on my other recommendations they reflect consistent themes which have been raised in each of the commentaries, which demonstrate systemic weakness in the current governance structures for sustainable development and the associated reporting of progress: - - good practice in existing in silos but the need for evidence of much

stronger integration needed to tackle key intergenerational issues,

- a sense that the report represents a cut and paste of variable inputs, resulting in a catalogue of activities from departments rather than a coherent approach,

- the cherry picking of projects which may not have a material impact on the scale of the issue to be addressed, while

- a focus on inputs, some outputs but little on outcomes, with reports listing the numerous actions implemented in a 12-month period but with little follow through on the effectiveness of intervention

- the lack of a direct connection between activities under the Programme of Government and their impact on the SD indicators as measures of progress,

- no benchmarks points that can relate performance against indicators to the achievement of long term goals

This experience of the last six years is evidence of the need to address these systemic issues by strengthening the legislation through the planned Future Generations Bill. The Bill will need to draw on the lessons to strengthen and

6

extend the duty across the public sector, putting in place mechanisms that will improve our governance for the long term. Critically it will need to ensure future programmes of national and local government relate to the achievement of long term goals and associated measures of progress. The White Paper for the Bill set out key principles for better decision making to deliver long term outcomes. This annual report does provide examples of these principles operating in practice such as the focus on preventative action in tackling symptoms not causes through programmes such as Families First and Flying Start. Such investment in early action is critical to sustainable development. I would recommend that future budgets are assessed against the Early Action Task Force’s classification to show whether the actions being taken are to address ‘prevention’, ‘early intervention’, ‘remedial treatment’ or ‘acute’ issues can provide a clear assessment of priorities and the where Government activity is being directed.

Engagement and involvement is highlighted as a core principle in the White Paper- “working in partnership with stakeholders is crucial and effective engagement is needed to achieve this” and while there is some evidence of effective engagement in the report, my experience as Commissioner suggests that there can be weakness in engaging partners in the development and implementation of policy and programmes, perhaps best illustrated through the process to introduce Marine Conservation Zones where significant anxiety, controversy and damage was caused by the handling of the concept of “highly protected zones”. There must be greater priority given to drawing evidence from those with the practical experience and involving them in delivery partnerships.

Such experience reflects that much of the approach to sustainable development over recent years has been characterised by top down statements and aspirations contained within the Sustainable Development schemes. It is encouraging that plans for the Future Generations Bill include a strong commitment to engage the wider community in a vision for future generation and to enable much greater engagement in creating sustainable, resilient communities. Co-production / co-design has gained greater prominence in Government’s rhetoric over the past year and I would hope to see greater evidence of the approach to demonstrate its collaborative action, that engages its stakeholders and works with them achieve long-term goals.

There is still evidence of the confusion and contradictions that exist within Government in its understanding of the concept of sustainable development, seeing it one of several competing priorities and not the central organising principle of Government, such as the statement that “Government, are keen to continue with the progress made to integrate Sustainable Development in to all aspects of the European programmes and the intention is that Sustainable Development, Equal Opportunities and Tackling Poverty and Social Inclusion will be central guiding principles in the 2014 programmes”.

There is now opportunity to address this confusion with the Future Generations Bill to ensure that long term sustainable development goals and

7

associated measures of progress become the clear top level drivers of policy goals across the public sector and the basis for collaborative action with business and the voluntary sector through a refocused Sustainable Development Charter.

The report acknowledges the confusion that exists over the nature and purpose of the Annual Sustainable Development Report as it attempts to cover the contribution of the Programme of Government, reflect on national progress against key indicators and report on the impact of the Government estate. This needs to be clarified within the new reporting arrangements under the Future Generations Bill with a requirement for Government to report on how its programmes are contributing to achieving sustainable development goals, rather than producing a discrete sustainable development report.

The Reference Group for the Future Generations Bill has established a working group to support the development of best practice in integrated reporting across the public sector. Welsh Government have a key leadership role and I would want to see next year’s report adopt best practice in integrated reporting as a prelude to the prospective legislative requirements.

The Bill should also require the new Sustainable Development Commissioner to produce a Future Generation reports setting out national progress against our long term sustainable development goals. I look forward to piloting this process over the next year with a view to producing the first Future Generations report in March 2015.

Peter Davies Commissioner for Sustainable Futures

8

Chapter 1: Sustainable Development at the heart of Government The Welsh Government’s Programme for Government (20111) is our plan of action. It represents a real commit to delivery, measured by the impact government is actually having on people’s lives. In it we reaffirmed our commitment to make sustainable development our central organising principle. By this we mean an emphasis on social, economic and environmental well-being for people and communities, embodying our values of fairness and social justice. Looking to the longer-term in the decisions that we make now, to the lives of our children’s children as well as current generations. The origins of this commitment derive from our long history of having sustainable development at our very foundation2. In the Sustainable Development Scheme - One Wales: One Planet (2009)3, the Welsh Government set out that sustainable development would be the central organising principle for the Welsh Government. Our commitment also extends to encourage and enable others in the wider public sector in Wales, to put sustainable development at the heart of what they do. Our proposals for a Future Generations Bill will ensure there is legislative backing for strengthening and extending the current duty to the wider public sector4. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. It is the process that helps us define the best long term development path for Wales.

1 http://wales.gov.uk/about/programmeforgov/?lang=en

2 Section 121 of the Government of Wales Act 1998, Section 79 of the Government of Wales Act 2006

3 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/publications/onewalesoneplanet/?lang=en 4 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/future-generations-bill/?lang=en

9

Sustainable development in Wales

Sustainable development means enhancing the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities, achieving a better quality of life for our own and future generations in ways which;

- promote social justice and equality of opportunity; and

- enhance the natural and cultural environment and respect its limits – using only our fair share of the earth’s resources and sustaining our cultural legacy.

Sustainable development is the process by which we reach the goal of sustainability.

Reporting on our actions

The annual reporting process provides an opportunity for the Welsh Government to be transparent in how it continues to embedded sustainable development as its core principle. It also illustrates the extent that evidence related to long term economic, social and environmental effects have informed the policy, programme or initiatives taken over the course of one year.

This is the fifth report, under section 79(6)(a) of the Government of Wales Act 2006, against the current sustainable development scheme, and the second since we published the Programme for Government in 2011. Previous reports have considered how we have delivered on the 18 actions set out in our sustainable development scheme. The 2011-12 Sustainable Development Annual Report5 reported on the progress made against each of these actions which are all well in hand.

We are keen to report on how our commitment to sustainable development has underpinned the actions we have taken between April 2012 to March 2013 in our policies and programmes. The report is as a snapshot, but should be seen within the context of the actions taken in previous years. Last year we illustrated efforts to improve the energy and decrease levels of fuel poverty, continuing progress in reducing the waste Wales produces and the continued successes in recycling rates.

For our environment, we reported measures to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change, the development of a new approach to natural resource planning and efforts to improve the quality of our local environments through the Tidy Towns initiative.

For our economy, the report outlined work to make the most of the Welsh public purse through improved procurement practices, efforts to

5 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/publications/annualreport1112/?lang=en

10

regenerate parts of Wales that have experienced decline and the use made of European funds to support our sustainable development aims.

On developing a more sustainable society, examples were used to illustrate the development of education and skills across Wales, improvements to our communities through housing policies and the Communities First programme and improved governance measures through the Local Service Board partnerships.

Progress in improving the wellbeing of Wales focused on key health initiatives, our ground breaking Wales for Africa programme, and work to improve and retain our historic and cultural assets by Cadw and the museums, archives and libraries of Wales.

In this year’s report chapters 2 – 6 set out the actions taken against the five areas in the Sustainable Development Scheme featuring the relevant vision and indicators for:

As part of the statutory review process required under section 79(7)(a) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 measuring the effectiveness of our SD Scheme, a number of actions or “next steps” were identified by the independent consultants that carried out the review in January 20126. We committed to report back on progress against these actions in the next Annual Report. This can be seen in chapter 7 of the report. Chapter 8 sets out the range of activities taking place within the Welsh Government that support relevant activities such as equalities, health, volunteering, the Welsh language, environmental performance and resource efficiency of the Welsh Government’s own estate.

6

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/publications/effectivenessreview2012/?lang=en

11

Measuring progress of sustainability in Wales The Sustainable Development Indicators for Wales are an important means of measuring our progress on sustainable development in Wales. They help provide the structure for the current Sustainable Development Scheme and were confirmed when One Wales: One Planet was published in May 2009. The latest indicators produced by the Welsh Government were released on 22 August 2013 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority7. The ‘In Your Pocket’ booklet on Sustainable Development Indicators for Wales 2013 provides measures of everyday concerns including health, housing, jobs, crime, education and our environment. The statistical release presents some background to the publication, and a summary table from the booklet. To accompany the booklet, the data for each indicator including local authority breakdowns, where available, are available through our StatsWales website8. Progress on sustainable development in Wales is measured through our Sustainable Development Indicators. The latest sustainable development figures were published in August 2013, and show that Wales has shown clear improvement in 22 of its indicator assessments. All indicators which showed a clear improvement in 2012 have continued to show a clear improvement in 2013. In addition, 3 indicators which showed little or no change in 2012 have showed a clear improvement in 2013; these were greenhouse gas emissions, urban air quality and education. These indicators are drawn out in each of the following chapters in the report to show the progress being made. We will ensure that future measures of progress developed through the Future Generations Bill build on the current suite of sustainable development indicators.

Measuring the contribution of the Programme for Government In addition, we also measure progress in delivering the Programme for Government Programme for Government commitments. While the Programme for Government indicator set is more extensive the majority of the indicators are drawn from the current SD indicator set. The Programme for Government sets the context for the Welsh Government's decision-making during this Assembly term, and provides transparency as to whether actions are being implemented and are having the intended effects. Part of the ongoing process of reviewing Programme for Government is to look at appropriate sets of indicators.

7 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/sustaindev/sustainable-development-indicators-2013/?lang=en 8https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Sustainable-Development/Sustainable-Development-Indicators

12

Chapter 2: Sustainable Resource Use

VISION Within the lifetime of a generation, we want to see Wales using only its fair share of the earth’s resources, and whose ecological footprint is reduced to the global average availability of resources - 1.88 global hectares per person. By the lifetime of a generation, we mean that we wish to see these changes brought about by the time our children are grown up. To achieve this goal over a generation, we will need to reduce by at least two thirds the total resources we currently use to sustain our lifestyles.

MEASURING PROGRESS

Headline Indicator

4 Wales’ global ecological footprint

Indicators

6 Greenhouse gas emissions

7 Waste arisings

8 Household waste

9 Mobility

OUR ACTIONS IN 2012-13

The following section highlights areas where we have taken action to achieve the vision for sustainable resource use.

Wales’ transition to a low carbon economy The First Minister launched Energy Wales: A Low Carbon Transition, in March 2012, which sets out our ambition to harness our energy potential in ways that enable us to transition to a sustainable, low carbon economy. The Energy Wales Programme is coordinating and targeting effort across Welsh Government to realise economic, social and environmental benefits from the transition to low carbon.

The Energy Wales Programme strives to deliver improvements to the Sustainable Development Indicators 1–Gross Value Added, 6–Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and 18 Electricity from Renewable Sources. We have worked with the onshore wind industry to understand opportunities for Welsh companies and communities adjacent to wind farms to get long-lasting benefit from the investment. The industry has developed a declaration to maximise economic and community benefits from onshore development, and we are creating an economic and community benefit register and an industry commitment. We continue to develop a Marine Energy industry in Wales. Marine Current Turbines’ Skerries project received a Marine Licence from Welsh Government

13

in February 2012 for their tidal energy array, and Tidal Energy Limited’s Deltastream secured £1.6m of funding in early 2013. The Energy sector has been supported through the creation of three energy focused enterprise zones in Anglesey, Snowdonia and the Haven Waterway. The Energy Wales Programme also continues to support the development of Anglesey Energy Island to maximise benefits from the energy developments taking place there. Reducing fuel poverty and energy demand are key aims of the Programme also, delivering benefits to Welsh communities. Preparation for a draft Planning Reform Bill has been undertaken to streamline the planning process and builds upon the formation of Natural Resources Wales in April 2013 in streamlining our regulatory regimes. The programme continues to identify opportunities and prioritise action for Wales to benefit economically, socially and environmentally from the transition to a low carbon economy.

Developing the energy and environment sector The goal for the sector in line with the First Minister’s Energy Policy statement of March 2012 is to put Wales at the forefront of the transition to a low carbon resource efficient economy and this will enable Welsh companies to gain comparative advantage and benefit from some of the fastest growing indigenous and international markets. The Welsh Government will influence decision makers on key areas that will enable sector growth. The priority is continued and targeted tailored support for nuclear on Anglesey, facilitating a whole Government and multi agency approach. It is important to emphasise here that this approach is focused upon the long term. Our goals include; conducting specific technical analysis of areas needed to grow the sector, specifically regarding supply chain needs and opportunities and sub sector specific infrastructure. Working with stakeholders, developers and local authorities on developing a proposition to support future marine energy in Wales. To play an integral role in the delivery of the Energy Programme for Wales as part of the strategy Energy Wales: A Low Carbon Transition. The Energy & Environment sector team continue to work across sectors, in particular Advanced Materials & Manufacturing and Construction, on major projects to develop and strengthen local supply chains and we are working with DECC on EU Energy Efficiency directive Article 8 (Energy Savings and Opportunity Scheme) which aims to drive up the take-up of cost-effective energy efficiency measures for non- small and medium enterprises. We have stimulated Enterprise Zone opportunities at Trawsfynydd by commissioning a study into the infrastructure barriers. In addition, we are commissioning a nuclear capability study to maximise the local supply chain

14

opportunities arising from both Hinkley Point and Horizon in terms of jobs, growth and wealth and we are working with Natural Resources Wales to ensure Wales derives maximum economic benefit from its natural resources.

Increasing energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty in our communities Following on from the energy programme, the Nest scheme demonstrates a preventative approach in providing householders in Wales access to a range of advice and support services to help them use less energy reduce their fuel bills and maximise their income. In 2012/13, over 21,500 households who contacted Nest benefitted from advice, ranging from how to use heating controls effectively, getting the best energy tariff and installing energy efficiency improvements to smarter driving and alternative transport options. The scheme targets households on the lowest incomes and living in the most energy inefficient homes and employs Partner Development Managers to work in communities to help identify and support the hardest to reach households. Partner Development Managers are providing training on fuel poverty to partner organisations and community groups and this is helping to spread knowledge of the impact of fuel poverty and the support available to households. In 2012/13, over 70 per cent of enquiries to Nest resulted from word of mouth or partner activity, with around 87 per cent of callers (who provided details of their income) estimated to be in fuel poverty or severe fuel poverty. This is an increase on 2011/12, when it was estimated that around 68 per cent of callers were in fuel poverty or severe fuel poverty and shows that the investment in partnership and community working is helping the Welsh Government to reach more of the households who are most in need of our support. Over 5,000 of the households who were assisted by Nest in 2012/13 were referred to third party services, such as Benefit Entitlement Checks and Warm Homes Discount payments. Over 170 householders received a Warm Homes Discount payment from their energy supplier. The total value of these payments is over £22,600. Over 270 householders were referred for a Benefit Entitlement Check and received new or additional benefits worth an average of £1,900 per household per annum. Ensuring householders receive all the benefits they are entitled helps low income households to stay warm and have more money for other essentials, such as food. It also delivers wider benefits as any additional income may be spent in the local economy. In addition to advice provision and referral, over 4,900 of the households who contacted Nest in 2012/13 benefited from a package of free home energy improvements. These improvements are estimated to have increased the Standard Assessment Procedure rating of their properties by an average of 40 Standard Assessment Procedure points, helping to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock in Wales and sheltering householders from future energy price rises. The energy improvement packages are also estimated to deliver benefits averaging around £500 per household per year,

15

making a real difference to low income households in being able to manage their fuel bills and heat their homes at a more affordable cost. Investment in energy efficiency improvements through Nest is also delivering economic benefits. Over 300 operatives are employed by Welsh small and medium sized enterprises that deliver all Nest's heating installations and the scheme has delivered 26 new job, apprenticeship and training opportunities, since the scheme started in 2011.

Making Wales’ schools more energy and resource efficient One of the aims of the 21st Century Schools and Education Capital programme is to deliver sustainable buildings. Specifically in relation to the schools programme a key element of the programme has been to develop a school standard, with a specific element focussing on sustainable schools. This will provide practical guidance on making schools more environmentally sustainable, by reducing energy use, CO2 emissions, and improving the school environment. As a pre-cursor to the 21st Century Schools Programme a period of transitional school and Further Education projects investment projects have been running. Through these transitional capital projects, we have continually worked with Local Authorities and Further Education Institutions to ensure that all new school buildings capital projects meet the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) `excellent’ standard. 35 transitional projects will achieve this by 2014-15.

Example Gwynedd local authority has recently complete the new Ysgol yr Hendre which is located at Cae Phillips and is set to deliver the very best learning environment for up to 450 pupils and provide a genuine focus for the local community. The new building incorporates the latest green technology such as, wind turbines passive ventilation a sedum roof and benefits from a timber frame construction.

Example The Capital Funding team of the Welsh Government in partnership with the Carbon Trust and representatives from Further Education sector agreed to carry out a pilot study of the use of energy within the FE estate.

In future, we will continue to strengthen our links and working relationships with Sustainable Futures within Welsh Government to ensure that the conditions of capital grant funding support the Sustainability agenda. All guidance and toolkits to support Local Authorities and Further Education Institutions will be reviewed and updated where necessary to ensure Sustainable Development is occurring when capital investment in education form Welsh Government is made.

16

Reducing the amount of waste we produce

In June 2010 we published Towards Zero Waste, the overarching waste strategy for reducing Wales’ ecological footprint through waste prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling and energy recovery from waste. It confirmed the key milestones of reducing waste by 1.5% each year, maximising recycling to at least 70% across all waste streams by 2025, and minimising the production of residual waste by 2025; and, by 2050, we aim to phase out residual waste and achieve 100% recycling through actions on sustainable consumption and production and to achieve a 75% overall reduction in waste arisings. Towards Zero Waste illustrates a long term, preventative approach to waste management. Between 1998-99 and 2004-05, the total amount of municipal waste produced in Wales per year increased by almost 400 thousand tonnes. Since 2004-05 however, the total amount of municipal waste produced in Wales annually has been decreasing year on year. By 2011-12 it had decreased by over 361,116 tonnes since the high point in 2004-05. The proportion of municipal waste recycled or composted has continually increased since 1996-97. In 2011-12, 50% of municipal waste was recycled or composted and in 2012-13 this increased to 52%. This work links to all three pillars of sustainable development by contributing towards the overarching aims described in Towards Zero Waste, which are:

a sustainable environment, where the impact of waste in Wales is reduced to within our environmental limits by 2050. This means we will take action on reducing the ecological footprint of waste in Wales to ‘One Wales: One planet’ levels through waste prevention and recycling, so that we contribute to using only our fair share of the earth’s resources;

a prosperous society, with a sustainable, resource efficient economy. More ‘green jobs’ across a range of skill levels will be provided within the waste and resource management industry in Wales, and increased profit for businesses will be achieved through resource efficient practices, which are ‘future proofed’ against increasing competition for resources; and,

a fair and just society, in which all citizens can achieve their full human potential and contribute to the wellbeing of Wales through actions on waste prevention, reuse and recycling.

The Sustainable Waste Management Grant provided by the Welsh Government to help support increases in local authority recycling was £71 million in 2012-13. Nearly all households now have access to regular collections of food waste. We have provided support for businesses, social enterprises and public bodies to meet waste prevention and recycling targets through Welsh Government funded programmes delivered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Constructing Excellence in Wales, the Eco

17

Design Centre for Wales, and the Anaerobic Digestion Centre of Excellence for Wales.

Improving the treatment of food waste

The Food Waste Treatment Programme was established in 2008 to contribute towards the delivery of the national strategy, Towards Zero Waste, and help address the affordability of sustainable waste treatment infrastructure in Wales. The Welsh Government’s overarching programme supports local authorities in their procurement of food waste recycling services using anaerobic digestion technology. The programme provides co-ordination, commercial transaction and financial support to seven food waste treatment projects to deliver recycling capacity for 150,000 tonnes of food waste per year using public private partnerships. The procurement initiative is currently unique within the UK. Significant economies of scale and public value are being achieved through the collaboration of 19 authorities in regional consortia and ensuring close partnership working with the Welsh Local Government Association and across Welsh Government departments. The Food Waste Treatment Programme aims to contribute towards the overarching aims in Towards Zero Waste by:

reducing the ecological footprint of food waste by diverting it from landfill sites and recycling it using anaerobic digestion facilities;

contributing towards a prosperous society by creating green jobs via the construction and operation of these anaerobic digestion facilities and by reducing competition for resources by recycling nutrients and organic matter from food waste back to the soil and generating renewable energy; and,

contributing towards a fair and just society by enabling citizens to add to the wellbeing of Wales by separating their food waste from other waste streams for treatment using anaerobic digestion.

Landfill sites contribute towards climate change and Wales’ ecological footprint by releasing large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Methane is produced by the decay of food and other biodegradable materials in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion facilities enable the controlled production and capture of methane for use as a renewable fuel, thereby reducing direct emissions of greenhouse gas from landfill sites and indirect emissions from use fossil fuels. Anaerobic digestion facilities also enable the nutrients and organic matter left over after the food has been digested (digestate) to be recycled back to the soil as a bio-fertiliser, replenishing soils and offsetting use of artificial fertilisers, to save resources and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

18

The Food Waste Treatment Programme contributes towards the delivery of the overarching waste strategy for Wales, Towards Zero Waste, which applies the following priority order, known as the ‘waste hierarchy’, in waste prevention and management legislation and policy. Waste Prevention is given top priority unless, for specific waste streams, departing from the waste hierarchy is justified by life cycle thinking on the overall impacts of the generation and management of such waste. a) Prevention b) Preparing for reuse c) Recycling d) Other recovery - e.g. energy recovery, and e) Disposal The Welsh Government’s Waste Prevention Programme was recently consulted upon (28 March to 20 June 2013) and is due to be published by the end of the year.

Understanding the contribution of land use planning

A Strategic Monitoring Framework for the planning system has been developed with the aim of establishing a suite of indicators, measuring the contribution the planning system makes to sustainable development in Wales. In the financial year 2012-2013 a set of seven key indicators to measure the sustainable development outcomes of significant planning applications determined in Wales have been developed.

Economic Renewal - Economic Development

A Low Carbon Economy - Renewable Energy

Access to Better Homes – New Homes (including affordable housing)

Resilience to Climate Change – Flood Risk

Efficient Land Use – Previously Developed Land

Open Space – Open Space Lost/Gained

Community Infrastructure – Contributions Secured for Community Facilities

The indicators, when reviewed collectively, will give a high level view of the contribution of the planning system towards the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities in Wales.

19

Chapter 3: Sustaining the Environment VISION The natural environment is the ultimate source of the primary resources we use to develop our economy. It is a source of enjoyment and inspiration, contributes to physical and mental wellbeing, underpins our culture, and contributes to our own sense of place and our identity. A sustainably managed natural environment is also critical to underpin Wales’ tourism businesses. In addition, the variety of life on earth has its own intrinsic value and worth. We need to better manage our land and seas so they can sustain a wide variety of ecosystem services.

MEASURING PROGRESS

Headline Indicator

3 Biodiversity conservation – status of priority habitats and species

Indicators

10 Biodiversity conservation

11 Ecological impacts of air pollution

12 Air quality

13 River Quality

14 Soil quality

15 Sustainable water resource management

OUR ACTIONS IN 2012-13 The following section highlights areas where we have taken action to achieve the vision for sustaining the environment.

Regenerating our communities: the Valleys Regional Park The main aim of this programme is to stimulate socio-economic regeneration through investment in the natural and historic environment thus developing a holistic approach across a wide partnership of organisations. This specific programme relates to relevant Sustainable Development Indicators such as; GVA per head, Health Status, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and the percentage of households where the time taken to reach local facilities on foot or by public transport is 15 minutes or less.

The current position of the project so far is that in the financial year 2012-2013 there has been:

The completion of over 130 km of off road walking and cycling routes.

Over 400 community individuals achieving a tourism qualification.

There have also been 25 jobs created which is expected to rise to 200 once all the data has been collected by March 2014.

20

There have been 400,000 extra visits to the Valleys stimulating local economic prosperity.

15,600 individuals and 697 community groups engaging in this process. The Welsh Government has worked with the South East Wales Regional Partnership involving the local authorities, Natural Resources Wales to develop an integrated approach focused on priority areas for jobs and growth in the Valleys. Detail in terms of the working arrangements with the City Regions and partners is still to be developed, but it is anticipated that the partnership approach, funding mechanisms and natural resource based investment activity will form an important component in any future Valleys Regional Park configuration.

Making our local environments more attractive Tidy Towns is an initiative between Keep Wales Tidy and Welsh local authorities and is funded by the Welsh Government. It supports people in making their communities better places to live and invest in, by empowering communities to take responsibility for their own local environment quality. Tidy Towns encourages a volunteering commitment to help sustain practical environmental and social improvements in a neighbourhood, while providing volunteers with opportunities to develop new skills and socialise in a healthy outdoor environment. Tranquil, Greener, Cleaner Places extends the funding of local authority led projects under Tidy Towns to larger projects aiming to create tranquil green spaces and improve air quality in poorer communities. In 2012-2013 86 projects were funded through Tidy Towns, including litter picks and clean ups, creating and regenerating community allotments and gardens from neglected land, education and awareness raising and projects to protect against fly-tipping. Tranquil, Greener, Cleaner Places funded a further 14 projects, including the creation of a wildlife corridor and community fishery in Rhyl, an innovative air quality public information system in Swansea, and green space improvements in Barry. In 2012-13 Keep Wales Tidy have supported 591 groups through the Tidy Towns programme to undertake environmental improvement projects. This has included helping the F.A.N Community Alliance, Neath Port Talbot, to transform an area that previously suffered from anti-social behaviour, into a practical growing space that has improved the look of the area and created pride and respect within the local community. In 2012-13 volunteers and other participants under the banner of Tidy Towns contributed 169,134 hours of their time, which equates to a value of £1,310,788 (using the WCVA figure of £7.75 an hour). For example, volunteers came together to restore a neglected Memorial Garden on the banks of the Irfon in the centre of Llanwrtyd, Powys. Volunteers met weekly to enhance public access, biodiversity and to develop it as a local amenity and attraction for tourists.

21

The Tidy Towns initiative began in April 2008 and is continuing to fund community and local authority projects in 2013-2014. Future projects from the Tidy Towns scheme will have a greater emphasis on improving communities in deprived areas in line with Welsh Government priorities. Tranquil, Greener, Cleaner Places will continue as it has begun, with an emphasis on robustly evaluating the benefits conferred on people by projects funded to date.

Improving the management of our natural resources The Welsh Government is taking a fresh approach to the management of our natural resources to deliver maximum long term benefit for Wales’ current and future wellbeing. To do this it is developing an overarching policy and legislation framework for a much more integrated approach, ensuring that legislation is in place to meet Wales’ needs and that support activity which promotes the sustainable management of natural resources in practice. Following the Sustaining a Living Wales green paper in 2012, preparatory work has been undertaking for the Environment (Wales) Bill and White paper. Responses to the consultation showed there was substantial support for taking a more integrated approach to natural resource management, the development of natural resource planning at local and national levels and the streamlining and simplification of regulatory regimes. The Bill will support this move towards the sustainable management of natural resources by better integrating the statutory framework and drawing together an approach that recognises that our natural resources are interlinked. This approach will recognise the interdependence between our society, economy and environment which are all underpinned by the use of natural resources. In doing so it reflects the wider Government commitment to sustainable development for current and future generations. Significant progress has been made in developing the evidence base and its application to supporting areas such as payments for ecosystem services. In addition, the Department for Natural Resources & Food and Natural Resources Wales have adopted a ‘Shared Outcomes Framework’ to guide the embedding of sustainable development and ensure activity is aligned to the delivery of long term benefit. The Natural Resource Management Programme will continue to take forward a programme of activity to coordinate the embedding of an integrated approach to the management of our natural resources. In addition to the White Paper consultation, the Welsh Government will set out its policy direction more widely and showing how activity is aligned to the overarching direction in autumn 2013. The policy and legislative action will be further supported by a sustainable development approach to funding, for example through the new £6 million fund to improve the management of our natural resources for the health and resilience of Wales’ ecosystems hand in hand with community and economic benefits.

22

Making communities better places to live The main purpose of the Vibrant and Viable Places framework (VVP) is that everybody in Wales should live in well-connected vibrant, viable and sustainable communities with a strong local economies and a good quality of life. Given its cross cutting nature, Vibrant and Viable Places is expected to contribute to every Sustainable Development Indicator. Vibrant and Viable Places regeneration framework has been published in the past year, thus reflecting Welsh Government commitment to Sustainable Development as a core principle and providing a platform for integrated planning and delivery through cross government working and regional stakeholder partnerships across Wales. Working with colleagues from across Government the team have been working to meet the Programme for Government commitment by ensuring that our policies and programmes reflect sustainable development by encouraging inclusive, sustainable and focused economic development, by living within our environmental limits, tackling poverty and improving health and educational outcomes. The natural environment is not only a provider of our life support system, but also brings a sense of place, feelings of wellbeing, of better health, more social cohesion, increased job opportunities and long-term success. We are working to ensure that our support for the people, environment and economy of Wales is well integrated for long term benefit. The framework is being used to support and inform the preparation of integrated regional projects for the 2014-2020 European Union funding programme, ensuring a balanced approach to social, economic and environmental opportunities and constraints. The Welsh Government has provided additional funding for town centre focused activity, and it is expected that a further allocation of Targeted Match Funding will contribute to this, providing an element of match funding for European Union the projects.

Colwyn Bay Scheme

Up till the 1950s, Colwyn Bay was relatively prosperous town with a strong tourism sector, attracting visitors from England and the rest of Wales. As with many seaside locations it has been difficult to compete with overseas resorts and over the years the community infrastructure has become run-down, despite a prosperous past and enormous future potential. This has, in turn, discouraged investment leading to a downward spiral of neglect. As well as reducing flood risk, Colwyn Bay has benefitted from the regeneration of its waterfront and beach area and significantly improved tourism facilities. A key component of sustained economic growth is a stable and attractive environment in which to invest. Providing a stable environment can promote business growth and new business opportunities. This is

23

consistent with key aims of tackling climate change, stimulating enterprise and business growth and regenerating communities. The Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project represents a major redevelopment of the town’s seafront with overarching objectives being to:

Provide renewed coastal defences along the Waterfront to protect the residents and businesses of the town from the threat of the sea.

Integrate the renewed defences with environmental improvements along the promenade to provide a coordinated approach to delivery of the project which maximises the regeneration potential of the scheme while also providing the necessary level of coastal protection.

Provide environmental improvements to the promenade to offer a modern, robust, sustainable and attractive public realm to draw new visitors to the area and coordinate with the Bay Life Regeneration Plan.

Safeguarding our seas and fishing industry The overall approach towards sustainable fishing is to develop the fishing industry by looking at the management of all natural resources in the marine environment and providing a balanced framework for the consideration of potential uses of our seas. The comprehensive Marine and Fisheries Strategy for Wales has been produced aiming at achieving our vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse seas. A single Division in the Welsh Government is now dealing with marine policy and fisheries to ensure a more integrated policy-making approach for our seas and coasts.

A comprehensive Marine and Fisheries Strategic Action Plan for Wales is being developed to identify specific actions and to ensure that meeting our various obligations for the protection of our seas and coasts is done in a way that supports the sustainable use of our marine natural resources.

Limiting the impacts of fly grazing

To deliver a fly grazing free Wales through the implementation of legislation; The Control of Horses (Wales) Bill will provide the power pan Wales for local authorities to manage the issues of fly grazing and abandonment of horses giving protection to communities in Wales, motorists, land and property owners who are effected by the nuisance of fly grazing.

Fly grazing and the abandonment of horses has attracted considerable media attention which has in the main centred on the welfare of the horses concerned. Pictures of dead or starving horses and the unsuitable environment in which they have been left to fend for themselves including

24

housing estates, schools playing fields, public highways and public amenity land has led to calls from the public and welfare charities for something to be done to resolve the issues. Welfare Charities are working at capacity and only have room for the very worst welfare cases. Their previous willingness to collect and re-home many of the abandoned / fly grazed horses is not sustainable and therefore recognise that action needs to be taken to remove these horses from circulation. The First Minister announced during his annual legislative statement on 16 July 2013 that legislation will be brought forward to deliver an effective all Wales solution to the problem of fly grazing and abandonment of horses. A ‘fast track’ procedure is being sought for the implementation of the Control of Horses (Wales) Bill to ensure that systems are in place to enable enforcement authorities to effectively deal with incidents of fly grazing and abandonment in time for the winter of 2013 – 2014.

Protecting our communities from the risk of flooding The issue of flood insurance for is a key concern for homeowners in high flood risk areas that find it difficult to obtain home insurance or experience costs rising as premiums become more reflective of the true risk. The Welsh Government has worked with the UK government and developed administrations to agree a replacement to the Statement of Principles which helps not only the availability but also the affordability of home insurance in flood risk areas. Access to affordable buildings and contents insurance is often cited by those at flood risk as one of their main concerns. The financial consequences of flooding can often be substantial, and where homeowners do not have adequate insurance cover meeting the costs of repairs can be difficult, compounding the emotional and physical impacts of the initial flood. Significant flooding in June and November 2012 compounded the problem. Many residents are now finding it difficult to insure their homes. A consultation on flood insurance was issued by UK Government on 27 June 2013 seeking views on proposals to address availability and affordability of ‘flood insurance’, which is buildings and contents insurance in areas of flood risk. The preferred option is a subsidised insurance pool for high risk households entitled “Flood Reinsurance”, which will be funded by a levy on all buildings and contents insurance premiums and administered by the insurance industry. The Welsh Government has outlined its intention through the Water Bill and draft clauses a new option that will be transparent, in illustrating the high levels of flood risk to residents and enabling them to adapt and become more resilient before insurance becomes entirely risk reflective (expected in 25 years). By only allowing homes built before 2009 to be included in any subsidy, the policy underlines the need to direct vulnerable development away

25

from significant flood risk areas and reinforces our National Strategy for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management and Welsh planning policy.

.

Improving the management of our forests through the Glastir Scheme Discussions on how to increase the uptake of Glastir Woodland Creation have led to a revision to the Glastir opportunity maps for tree planting. More work is planned to refine the woodland opportunities map, and the consultation process as the woodland creation scheme is transferred to Welsh Government under the next Rural Development Plan. About 900 hectares of new woodland was planted in Wales last year. The Welsh Government has worked with the forestry sector to facilitate the Wales Forest Business Partnership and promote the ‘Grown in Britain’ scheme. It has continued to work to improve access and use of Welsh woodlands by the public in order to promote the health benefits of outdoor recreation. A key area of work in the last year has been working with partners to combat the impact of damaging pests and diseases of trees, in particular P ramorum disease of larch and Chalara fraxinea in ash. These diseases are causing serious damage to woodlands in Wales and highlight the need to increase the species diversity of our forests to make them more resilient to such threats. The Woodlands for Wales Action Plan will be reviewed and revised. Work will continue with the forestry industry and with NRW to support businesses in this sector and also continue to improve public access and use of woodland through schemes such as Woodlands and You. A revised set of support measures for Woodlands will form part of the next Rural Development Plan for Wales.

Tackling climate change

Tackling climate change is at the heart of the Welsh Government’s approach to sustainable growth and tackling and preventing poverty. Cutting emissions and building the long term resilience in Wales will improve its economy, environment and communities. The Climate Change Strategy for Wales sets out where Welsh Government will act to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that Wales produces. The Government’s key target is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3% per year from 2011 in areas of devolved competence. Climate change policy in Wales has continued to evolve from when the 2008 Climate Change Act and the Climate Change Strategy were developed. The Welsh Government recognises that climate change is not just about mitigation and emission reduction targets; it is about building future climate resilience and adapting to the changes in the climate that cannot be avoided.

26

The second climate change annual report will be published on 10 December 2013 and it will outline activity to build capacity for the Welsh Government, wider public sector and the people of Wales. The progress report will also set out the Welsh Government’s commitment to continue driving action on climate change, in terms of how it must be embedded within its wider priorities and how climate action - and the green growth stimulated by it - is fundamental to Wales’ economy, society and the environment. Indeed, tackling climate change is an integral part of how development can become sustainable. We cannot think about our Future Generations without thinking about the climate in which they will live in and this is one of the greatest challenges Wales faces going forward. The last few years have shown how vulnerable Wales is to more regular extreme weather events and the Welsh Government is committed to taking responsibility and continuing to drive how it tackles the causes and consequences faced from climate change. This is not only about our children and grandchildren – it is also to the millions of people who live and work in Wales right now and the impact upon their daily lives.

27

Chapter 4: A Sustainable Economy VISION A resilient and sustainable economy for Wales that is able to develop whilst stabilising, the reducing, its use of natural resources and reducing its contribution to climate change. The aim is to create a strong economy based on full employment and high-quality jobs. The recent economic downturn has presented significant challenges for the individuals, businesses and communities across Wales. The immediate challenge for the Welsh Government has been how to help viable businesses in Wales to keep trading during the economic downturn and assist them to become more competitive, taking advantage of the opportunities as the economy recovers.

Headline Indicator

1 Gross Value Added (GVA) and GVA per head

Indicators

16 Employment

17 Resource efficiency

18 Electricity from renewable sources

OUR ACTIONS IN 2012-13 The following section highlights areas where we have taken action to achieve the vision for sustaining the environment.

Developing our ICT infrastructure through Next Generation Broadband Wales The Welsh Government is working towards the development of powerful, flexible, future-oriented communications infrastructure in partnership with its chosen commercial provider. As part of this remit, it will enable the Welsh Government to enhance the effective and efficient delivery of public services to the people of Wales. Activity is focused on providing universal affordable access to the services that citizens and businesses need and the provision of global-standard value-added services and facilities, such as data centres and high-performance computing facilities. This involves taking a long term and preventative approach to investment. Under-provision of broadband in parts of Wales could result in the loss of benefits which could otherwise accrue across the economy. The knock-on impacts of increasing the take-up of broadband in a region relative to other areas are well researched. The relative lack of broadband availability in some areas of Wales when compared to the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world

28

could entrench distributional inequalities. This could leave parts of Wales significantly less able to retain and attract businesses which increasingly rely on high-speed broadband. Over time, the under-provision of broadband could reduce the possibility of regional social and economic development and may threaten jobs. These factors could have a detrimental effect on digital literacy levels, business creativity, entrepreneurship and the growth of new sectors, thereby reducing Wales’ competitiveness as a region. It is anticipated that in a dynamic and quickly changing sector, consumers that are satisfied with 2Mbit/s today will be expecting speeds of more than 50Mbit/s in less than ten years from now. Building the infrastructure to cope with this anticipated demand requires state investment as the market alone would not make the necessary investment. Following a rigorous process of procurement, the Welsh Government has entered into an agreement with BT as a commercial partner to ensure that Next Generation Broadband Wales, or Superfast Cymru as it is now known, is delivered across Wales. This fulfils the Programme for Government commitment that seeks to ensure access to next generation broadband services for homes and businesses in Wales. The outcomes of the project are simple, to ensure a high speed broadband network is implemented across the whole of Wales that allows for access no matter who you are and where you are in Wales. This outcome is encapsulated in the Programme for Government objectives. This outcome is also the underpinning foundation for the vision of a Digital Wales. Directly, this public sector intervention is addressing the gap, particularly in rural areas of Wales in the commercial viability for high speed broadband deployment. By addressing this financial gap to allow implementation, the Welsh Government aims to achieve the sustainable wholesale provision of high speed broadband access in these areas of Wales. This will result in sustainable employment in continuous service provision and network maintenance in Wales. The knock on effects of this investment are:

The supply chain development to support this maintenance

The sustainable development of a Welsh based sector of Internet Service Providers. They will effectively utilise this wholesale provision with high quality products and services for Welsh households and businesses

Next Generation Broadband Wales infrastructure is an underpinning requirement for the Digital Wales agenda and as such has a fundamental impact of all facets of sustainable development in Wales. As a summary of this, examples of the social, environmental and economic impacts the projects benefits realisation plan could consider include:

29

Direct benefits

Competition driven benefits

Increase in Wales Gross Added Value (GVA)

General business benefits

Productivity enhancement

Enable flexible working

Expansion of knowledge based economy

Business consumer surplus

Environmental benefits

Cloud computing

Reduced courier usage

Improved online communication and virtual meetings Indirect benefits

Attraction of inward investment

Business expansion potential

Improved data security

Business transformation

Development of the rural economy

Helping to sustain communities and stem outward migration

Reduction in traffic congestion and travel costs

Social inclusion in rural areas of Wales

Price parity between urban and rural areas of Wales There are substantial social, environmental and economic benefits to be drawn from this investment in the paradigm shift envisaged by the advances in tele-health and online learning. These have been investigated and estimated in the project’s Socio-Economic Analysis.

The use of European Structural Funds The Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) manages the European Structural Funds Programmes in Wales, which support a wide range of projects contributing to sustainable development as the central organising principle. The two cross cutting themes of the 2007-2013 Structural Funds programmes, environmental sustainability and equal opportunities help to support sustainable development in Wales. The aim of Welsh European Funding Office is to improve the quality and legacy from each project and to add value to the people and communities of Wales as a whole.

Welsh European Funding Office have focused a significant amount of effort and resource on supporting project sponsors in the delivery of real and practical actions that directly improve the environmental, equality and economic situation ‘on the ground’.

30

Examples of projects which have made a significant contribution to sustainable development activity include: Swansea’s Quadrant Transport Interchange has replaced an outdated and rundown bus station with a modern high quality facility, serving as an exemplar and model of best practice in sustainable and accessible transport solutions. It aims to help break down attitudinal barriers which prevent people using modes other than the private car. The scheme will contribute to achieve a transfer to more sustainable transport, reducing congestion and improvements in air quality, while securing improved access to jobs, employment opportunities and key services. The project has been selected as a finalist for the RegioStars 2014 – Awards for Innovative Projects.

The Social Enterprise Support Project led by Wales Cooperative Centre, has worked with 39 social enterprises across Wales helping them to achieve Green Dragon Level 2.

The Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone led by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, built on the site of the former Corus Steelworks at Ebbw Vale, is part of a drive to achieve economic and social sustainability through education in one of the most deprived communities in Wales. Development took place after the remediation of the brownfield site that was formerly the 80 hectare steelworks. Remediation involved the recycling of materials following de-contamination of the site. The Learning Zone has been designed to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard (2006 Regulations). Part of the design principle was ensuring ‘access for all learners’ as detailed in the access strategy which informed the design stage of the project.

Carmarthenshire County Council leads on the Bwcabus project, which involves the integration of demand responsive transport to connect with conventional bus and train services. Using the latest technologies to provide flexible local public transport connecting people directly with strategic bus routes critical to social inclusion and a key factor in increasing economic activity, widening employment opportunities and enabling people to access key services.

The 2014-2020 Structural Funds Programmes for Wales are in the process of being designed. The European Commission, along with the Welsh Government, are keen to continue with the progress made to integrate Sustainable Development in to all aspects of the European programmes and the intention is that Sustainable Development, Equal Opportunities and Tackling Poverty and Social Inclusion will be central guiding principles in the 2014 programmes.

Making the most of the Welsh public purse The Welsh public sector spends £4.3bn per year and on 6 December last year, the Wales Procurement Policy statement was published, outlining 9 principles the Welsh public sector is expected to follow when undertaking procurement. This adopts the Sustainable Procurement Task Force definition

31

of procurement and ensures that we maximise the provision of local training and employment opportunities and the use of local supply chains.

Low Value Advertising

Public bodies in Wales are encouraged to advertise low value contracts via sell2wales to improve visibility of these opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises. Ensuring that public procurement contract opportunities are open to all is a Programme for Government commitment and a requirement of the Wales Procurement Policy Statement, published in December 2012. The Wales Procurement Policy Statement was published in December and contains a specific requirement for public bodies to advertise all contracts above £25k on sell2wales. During the 2012/13 financial year, 72% of all contract opportunities advertised on sell2wales were below the EU threshold. This compared with 67% in 2011/12. Ensuring lower value public contract opportunities are more open and accessible has helped support greater involvement of smaller and more local businesses in delivering public contracts. Small and medium sized enterprises now win 55% of the overall procurement expenditure across Wales, with Wales-based businesses winning 52%. The improved reporting functionality of the new sell2wales will be utilised to further monitor the impact of this approach and a Procurement Advice Note will be issued to public bodies in Wales to support the continued growth in advertisement of low value contracts.

Community Benefits

The Community Benefits policy enables public bodies to lever social, economic and environmental outcomes through procurement. Embedding this policy is a Programme for Government commitment, supporting public bodies to use procurement to implement contract clauses that optimise value for money, including creating local employment and training and supply chain opportunities. The Wales Procurement Policy Statement, announced by the Finance Minister in December 2012, requires public bodies to apply Community Benefits to contracts where such benefits may be realised. 80 projects and frameworks worth over £4.2bn have committed to incorporating community benefits into public procurement contracts. For the period 2012-13 i.e. up to March 2013, the Community Benefits measurement tool has captured the following data from the first 18 projects, accounting for £282m in contract value:-

32

Of the overall value, 82% was retained in Wales as either revenue to Wales-based businesses or salaries to people based in Wales.

384 disadvantaged people supported into employment. 12,500 weeks of training delivered.

A Task and Finish Group has operated throughout 2012/13 to explore opportunities to strengthen Community Benefits policy. This was chaired by Martin Mansfield, General Secretary TUC, in a personal capacity. As a result the approach has been embedded into standard grants and the ongoing review and delivery of the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan. The next step is to continue to support and maintain the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan. delivery group, ensuring that the Community Benefits approach is applied appropriately. Measurement of outcomes from adopting the approach will be analysed to inform ongoing development of the policy. A Community of Practice will be established to share good practice in applying Community Benefits. Electronic procurement We deliver a Programme for Government commitment by rolling out joint procurement systems across the public sector to support capability development, increase efficiencies, remove/reduce waste and make procurement more straightforward. Simplified Standard Processes is also a requirement of Wales Procurement Policy Statement. A 5-year electronic procurement programme for Wales was completed under the xchangewales programme which closed on 31 March, realising £84m of measured benefits. xchangewales has supported development of procurement capability in Wales and the majority of the Welsh public sector is now using common e-tools covering the procurement process from sourcing, tendering and auctions, contract management and e-payment. For the period up to March 2013, use of these e-procurement tools saved 187 tonnes of CO2 and 3130 trees, equating to 29m sheets of A4 paper. Work has commenced to secure support for a business case to deliver a successor e-Procurement Service programme for Wales. A successor e-Procurement Service programme is being developed and we are well prepared to meet the mandatory requirement for use of e-procurement that will be introduced through the new Procurement Directive that is due to be adopted by EU Parliament in October 2013.

Improving Wales’ tourism experience For the tourism sector, Wales’s new national tourism strategy A Partnership for Growth has been launched with a clear strategic direction for development, investment and marketing. The aim of the tourism sector is to direct development of the tourism and visitor economy in Wales through product and capital support and marketing and promotional activities in the UK and in key

33

overseas markets; and to create an environment to attract tourism inward investment, this is a long term goal and something that we continue to strive towards.

Vision Wales will exceed expectations as a unique tourism destination and develop a reputation for delivering outstanding quality, excellent value for money and memorable experiences: we will offer a warm welcome that means every visitor that leaves us wants to come back

Goal

Sustainable growth in tourism that delivers jobs and wealth for the Welsh economy and supports a profitable tourism industry

Ambition

Grow tourism earnings in Wales by 10% or more by 2020 As part of the Sustainable Tourism Framework and Forum we have developed a suite of information and guidance tools aimed at helping tourism businesses respond to the challenge in a sustainable way. We continue to update and develop further content in the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit on the Destination Management Wales website in order to provide practical advice and guidance to the industry. We have recently added a climate change booklet and sector specific videos promoting best practice in the industry and we continue to work with partners via our managed groups and forums; we work with partners Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Carbon Trust, and Keep Wales Tidy. Working with the Waste Reduction Action Programme Cymru, we have developed financial support tools for small and medium enterprises. These will help businesses in the hospitality, tourism, food service and food and drink manufacture sectors towards the cost of waste prevention or recycling equipment and consultancy. This can help them identify how to cut costs by reducing waste.

Supporting young people into work Jobs Growth Wales aims to support unemployed young people, who have had difficulty securing employment to enter a 6 month paid job opportunity and support them into sustained employment. Reducing the number of unemployed young people in Wales and associated levels of poverty. During the first year, April 2012 to 31 March 2013, the programme exceeded its target by creating almost 6,000 job opportunities for young people across Wales, and getting more than 4,000 unemployed young people into work. At the end of the first year (March 2013), 4,042 jobs were filled by unemployed

34

young people. The data suggests that young people who complete the full six month opportunity have a very strong chance of progressing positively. As for the future, 3,422 employers have been engaged with the programme to date. This shows the high demand for the programme from employers An evaluation has been commissioned on the impact of the programme. The initial report will be published later in the year. We will also undertake focused research to understand the characteristics and reasons behind a young person exiting the programme early.

Giving adults and young people the skills and employment opportunities they need The Welsh Government is currently developing a new approach to employment and skills support which will deliver a more integrated employment and skills offer from 2014 onwards. Action will focus on providing leadership and direction, adopting more of a strategic commissioning role as opposed to a direct delivery role. In adopting more of a strategic commissioning role the Welsh Government has a view to creating a more coherent and integrated portfolio of programmes at national, regional and local level. The co-ordination of employment and skills delivery will be undertaken through an integrated portfolio of projects that respond to clearly identified and evidenced need and operate at a combination of national, regional and local levels. The Department for Education and Skills will set the national strategic priorities which, through joint working with other Welsh Government departments, will also reflect the need for contribution to wider potential outcomes in areas such as regeneration, economic development and tackling poverty through employment and skills interventions. A Footprint Document has been developed and distributed externally inviting feedback and interest in participating in future discussions about the developing approach to employment and skills. A pilot exercise will evaluate the new adult employment and skills programme in the South West. The aim of the pilot is to test and explore the opportunities to bring together key employment and skills delivery across the pilot area to ensure synergy, value for money, targeted support and avoid duplication of effort.

Improving the basic skills of the workforce Reducing the number of working people in Wales with low levels of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills is a key long term priority to improve business efficiency and produce a more confident and effective workforce. The Welsh

35

Government is taking a preventative approach to current weaknesses through its skills programmes. In the past financial year many positive actions have been taken. In July 2011, first results from the National Survey of Adult Basic Skills 2010, commissioned by the Welsh Government, were released providing valuable data on literacy and numeracy. The survey was carried out during 2010, and assessed overall literacy and numeracy skills of adults (aged 16-65) in Wales The surveys were designed as far as was practically possible to replicate similar surveys carried out in 2004/05, in order to compare changes in skills levels. These results show that there has been improvement in literacy levels: 12 per cent of adults were assessed to have Entry Level literacy or below, a decrease from 25 per cent in 2004. Some 29 per cent of adults were assessed at Level 1 (37 per cent in 2004) and 59 per cent at Level 2 or above (an increase from 38 per cent in 2004). The Essential Skills in the Workplace programme was launched in April 2012 to respond to the issue of low essential skills amongst the employed workforce in Wales. Supported by the European Social Fund, it targets adults in employment by providing guidance, support and training to encourage employers in Wales to identify and address low literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in the workplace. Over 4,000 workers engaged with the programme up to December 2012 and a recent external evaluation showed that employers reported immediate benefits regarding improvement in workforce skills. They also recognised benefits to the company of improved customer services, increased competitiveness and reduced sick leave. Department for Education and Skills will take the opportunity to integrate essential skills delivery will other skills programmes such as the Wales Union Learning Fund to increase employer engagement and improve market penetration.

Delivering an effective transport system The Wales Transport Strategy published in 2008 sets out the long term outcomes that our investment in transport will support. They are firmly based on comprehensive sustainable development principles, integrating economic, environmental and social wellbeing, taking a preventative approach and addressing future needs. An effective transport system is a key underpinning for our economy and the connectivity of communities. Our priorities are to ensure that we have a sustainable transport system that helps improve the economic competitiveness of Wales that provides good access to jobs and services.

36

We are making substantial capital investment in transport. These major schemes deliver direct employment benefits and we are proud of the record of success of Welsh businesses winning work and supporting the supply chain. We are also proud of the way that training and apprenticeship opportunity have been secured and helped transform the opportunities of people in some of the most deprived communities in Wales. Beyond direct employment in delivering capital improvements or key transport services, improving the quality and reliability of the transport system is critical to improving the economy as a whole. Businesses tell us that good transport connections are essential for their customers and we are responding to the priorities that they are identifying. We are making substantial investment in public transport which will provide for better, more accessible stations and improve line speed and capacity on parts of the rail network. We also continue to invest substantially in bus services through our concessionary fares scheme and funding to local authorities to support bus services that would not be commercially viable. We are using this funding to leverage better outcomes by directing it specifically at the routes that are needed to connect communities to key services and to jobs. We are continuing to prioritise investment in sustainable public transport and road infrastructure and improvement schemes which help improve the economic competitiveness of Wales and provide good access to jobs and services. We have:

Focused on key priorities such as improving the connectivity of deprived communities, for example, the substantial investment in the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road and securing electrification of the Valley Lines.

Funded £11 million of road safety improvements to trunk roads.

Provided £5 million to support the development of safe routes within communities.

Reviewed with partners the funding of local bus services in Wales which resulted in a new Regional Transport Services Grant from 2013, focused on public funding for services that passengers wish to see.

Provided £30 million to help local authorities boost the number and range of subsidised bus and community transport services. This is to help offset the cost of the fuel duty that operators pay, to help keep fares down, and included earmarking £1.5 million to support community schemes.

Continued to support the demand-responsive Bwcabus service, which was expanded in rural Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. We have earmarked £0.4 million to match contributions from the local authorities and WEFO’s convergence programme funding for the period 2011-14.

Continued our support of The Personalised Travel Planning Project (PTP).

Introduced The Active Travel (Wales) Bill, which was laid in the National Assembly for Wales on the 18 February 2013.

37

Invested in rail safety and accessibility to provide a safe and welcoming environment, on both train and station, as it plays an important part in encouraging greater use of rail services. Included funding for the recruitment and training of British Transport Police and Community Safety Officers and the beneficial effect of rail station improvements.

Strengthening the resilience of the construction sector The sector in Wales is responding to a number of significant changes and challenges of sustainability under a difficult financial and economic climate. This can be achieved through the adoption of new technologies, and the development of new skills and business processes, thus increasing the capacity for securing new contracts in current and emerging markets. In November 2012 the Welsh Government hosted a ‘Promoting Timber in Construction’ event at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. The purpose of the event was to raise the awareness and profile of timber as a construction material in terms of its environmental credentials, particularly when locally sourced. We also hosted a trade delegation from Latvia in the timber sector to strengthen links between the two countries. In order to strengthen local supply chains we have supported ‘meet the buyer’ events for the new campus for Swansea University and other events are scheduled and planned. We have also been developing a programme of innovative business interventions which will be launched in 2013/14 to support the sector to remain competitive, skilled and ultimately grow.

Putting Wales’ manufacturing industry on a stronger footing The strategic priority is to develop a long term and sustainable manufacturing sector; enhance the design and use of leading edge advanced materials and develop the skills needed for dynamic long term sustainable sector growth. Our approach will increasingly take into account the potential for Wales to grow and strengthen its circular economy approach to the use of finite resources, and to embed social, economic and environmental objectives together. We have worked with stakeholders to develop 13 environmental SD KPIs. Of those, five have been identified as the key initial performance indicators, which are based upon Toyota’s sustainability programme, with whom we work:

Overall Energy Intensity

Water Intensity

Raw Material Intensity (process waste)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity

Carbon Footprint

38

Critical Materials The Welsh Government continues to gather evidence on critical materials in Wales, their potential impact on industrial sectors and the environment. Our strategic priorities within the Advanced Material and Manufacturing Strategy aligns with achieving sustainable development objectives as follows:

Skills – our work streams include working with Department for Education and Skills to identify the greatest areas of need in the sector. In particular, areas identified are apprentice and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates programmes. A well-educated workforce will provide Wales with a comparative advantage against the cost-effectiveness of other global markets

Globalisation & Growth – work streams include supporting Welsh companies to develop their export programmes, thereby establishing a more robust customer base

Capacity Building – our work streams include supply chain development; a dedicated Supply Chain Team has been established, collaboration with our Anchor Companies and Regionally Important Companies, and greater engagement with the three sector forums:

o Welsh Automotive Forum o Aerospace Wales Forum o Electronics & Software Technologies Network

We aim to further develop our relationships with key partners including the Waste Strategy Branch, EcoDesign Centre, Waste and Resources Action Programme Cymru and the Carbon Trust, collaborating with and supporting their delivery programmes. Increasing awareness of the opportunities and benefits to be found in sustainable development is a critical challenge, in which the industry fora will play a key role. Equally, this will apply to sharing best practice. We are aiming to incorporate multi-fuel stations across our major infrastructure routes, including the M4, and are working on specific projects to install hydrogen refuelling and electric recharging points and we continue to proactively pursue inward investment opportunities and are developing an all Wales strategy to support the development of ultra low carbon transport.

Providing support to Welsh business During the financial year 2012 -13 the Welsh Government’s Employer Engagement Branch supported business through the delivery of a number of key interventions including Skills Growth Wales and Workforce Development Programmes. The programme has been providing financial support to deliver bespoke training and skills packages to benefit 61 businesses were supported delivering training for 7,461 employees across a range of sectors through

39

Skills Growth Wales. A further 684 businesses were awarded training grants as part of the Workforce Development Programme through core Welsh Government funding to provide enhanced skills for employees. The aim of both programmes is to secure tangible growth in terms of employment, turnover and or profitability for Welsh Business enhancing the sustainability of the various businesses and securing employment. Bespoke programmes range for example from Leadership and Management training to Lean production processes.

Improving skills and employment through support to the Welsh book and magazine trade The Welsh Government supports the publishing industry in Wales via the Welsh Books Council (WBC). It is a non-statutory body providing specialist services to the book and magazine publishing trade in Wales including the provision of publishing grants and literature grants for publishers of Welsh- and English-language books and magazines. There are also direct links with the Programme for Government firstly is Education – there is a direct link here in respect of children’s books. Increasing the number of attractive and high quality books being published annually in Wales assists in the aim of increasing literacy. The Welsh Books Council was allocated an additional £50,000 in 2012-13 in order to focus on the production of additional Welsh and Welsh medium titles in support of the Welsh Government’s literacy targets. The second main link to the Programme for Government is with Growth and Sustainable Jobs – the Supported Posts grant provides job security to post-holders. Unlike the publishing sector in England, where positions are largely London-centric, Welsh publishing posts tend to be dispersed around the country, in areas such as the rural west and in the south Wales valleys, where they give further employment opportunities. There is also a strong link to Culture and Heritage as the Welsh Government is committed to creating a bilingual Wales and publishing in both Welsh and English contributes to this aim. In addiction to all of these the Welsh Books Council supports the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy and its aim to reduce child poverty by extending access, opportunities and resources for families, children and young people living in low in income households.

Support for Wales’ food industry The Food Division aims to support the development and growth of the food and drink industries in Wales, in a way that harmonises with the environment. Welsh Government has statutory responsibilities for the food industry in Wales, and increasing the market share of Welsh food and drink by supporting companies and producers in Wales.

40

Liaison across Government and with industry is continuing so that officials on food and specialists on aspects of sustainability ensure that policy is joined up and appropriate. This is continuing on the development of the new direction for food, “Delivering Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014-2020”, which respects sustainability principles. This includes work on energy use, water, waste and packaging. Continued support has been provided to the Community Food Cooperatives Programme which supports the delivery of a number of key Welsh Government priorities. The Programme was piloted in two regions to improve access to fruit and vegetables, particularly in disadvantaged areas, and to support local suppliers. 80 Welsh suppliers 330 Food Co-ops across Wales, now serve approximately 4,500 customers, generating approximately £1 million worth of business annually. 2012-13 Welsh Government provided £6.5m capital spend through ‘Economic Development’ which funded 14 projects, safeguarded 2,606 jobs, created 69 jobs and induced £18.3m private sector investment in the Food and Drink sector 2012-13 ‘Going for Growth’ and ‘Mentoring’ programmes supported food industry development in the UK with expenditure of £1.45m which assisted 256 enterprises and increased turnover by almost £20m which is a 13:1 return on public sector investment. These activities will help deliver growth through market development, job creation, increased sales turnover and improved GVA for Wales.

41

Chapter 5: A Sustainable Society VISION A strong, healthy, inclusive and just society, while living within environmental limits, is key to sustainable development. Decent housing for all is vital. Ineffective education constrains the rich potential contained within our population, and it is a priority that our education system continues to strengthen. A real commitment to good education for all is the basis for a strong, prosperous and aspiring community. We want to inspire and educate people to develop their knowledge, values and skills so they can participate in decisions about what affects them, and live more sustainably.

Headline Indicator

2 Social Justice – the percentage of the population in relative low-income households

Indicators

19 Health Inequality

20 Benefit Dependency

21 Housing

22 Accessibility

23 Crime

OUR ACTIONS IN 2012-13 The following section highlights areas where we have taken action to achieve the vision for a sustainable society.

Supporting young families most in need Families First is an innovation programme that promotes the development of effective multi-agency systems and support by local authority areas, with a clear emphasis on prevention and early intervention for families, particularly those living in poverty. Through the implementation of 5 year Action Plans aall local authorities are expected to develop and implement: a Joint Assessment Family Framework; a Team Around the Family model; a coherent set of strategically commissioned, time limited, family-focused

services or projects; an inter-authority Families First learning set; and proposals to improve support for families with disabled children and young

people. Families First is difficult to measure due to its flexible non-prescriptive nature. A large proportion of the funding is used for systems change e.g. the development of TAF and JAFF, whilst the rest supports local projects and

42

services. However, when the programme was rolled out in April 2012 the Welsh Government did set the following national outcomes: 1. Working age people in low income families gain, and progress within,

employment 2. Children, young people and families, in or at risk of poverty, achieve their

potential 3. Children, young people and families are healthy and enjoy well-being 4. Families are confident, nurturing resilient and safe. Families First uses a Results Based Accountability (RBA) approach to record progress in achieving these 4 outcomes and key population indicators are used to measure progress. Over the past year we have engaged with local authorities and our evaluation team to establish a Families First Monitoring Framework, which is near complete. This will establish the performance management of the programme and is composed of two elements:

a Process Change element, designed to assess the extent to which local authorities have changed / are changing their systems and processes for providing services to children, young people and families since the introduction of Families First

a Family Outcomes element, designed to assess the impact of Families First on children, young people, and families directly. This includes a Distance Travelled Tool which we are developing in partnership with authorities and our external Evaluation Team.

Families First has 5 year local Action Plans to run until 2016 and has incorporated a strong local and national shared learning element.

Giving families a flying start With similar intention to Families First, Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship Early Years programme for families with children who are under 4 years of age and is targeted in some of our most deprived areas in Wales. Flying Start is one of the Welsh Government’s top priorities and we are committed to doubling the number of children and their families benefiting from the programme from 18,000 to 36,000 during the course of this administration. It includes 4 core elements: free quality childcare, parenting support, intensive health visitor support, and support for early literacy. The programme aims to make a decisive difference to the life chances of children aged under 4 in the areas which it runs. The Flying Start Outcomes Framework was developed utilising Results Based Accountability methodology. The Flying Start Outcomes Framework consists of a set of 3 outcomes and 10 population indicators as below:

43

1. Outcome - Healthy and Thriving: Indicators

i. Percentage of FS children reaching or exceeding their developmental milestones at age 2

ii. Percentage of FS children reaching or exceeding their development milestones at 3 years

iii. Percentage of FS children fully immunised at their 4th birthday iv. Percentage of FS children breastfed at stages up to 6 months

2. Outcome - Capable and coping: Indicators

i. Percentage of FS children presenting at A&E department as having unintentional injuries in the home

ii. Percentage of FS children aged 0-47 months who have an open case with Social Services as Child in Need

iii. Percentage of FS children aged 0-47 months on the Child Protection Register

3. Outcome - Reaching potential: Indicators

i. Percentage of eligible children taking up FS childcare and who are registered and started in a FS setting

ii. Percentage of FS children on the school rolls at age 3. iii. Percentage of FS children achieving Step 3 or above of the entry

assessment in Foundation Phase

Flying Start is set to deliver to 36,000 children and their families during this Assembly term and both the Flying Start and Families First programmes are set to continue running and will be closely monitored and evaluated as both programmes aim to improve the outcomes of families within the context of tackling poverty, particularly child poverty.

Providing quality, affordable homes for people on low incomes The principle aim of the Welsh Government in relation to housing is; ‘We will ensure that social housing will continue to provide high quality, affordable homes that meet the needs of people on low incomes.’ ‘One Wales: One Planet, the Sustainable Development Scheme of the Welsh Assembly Government’, Quality Housing, P.61 (2009).’ Social Housing Grant ensures that Housing Associations can continue to build new, affordable homes for their tenants, and continue to rent new homes at affordable rents. To be eligible for Social Housing Grant, developments by Housing Associations need to meet Welsh Governments’ Development Quality Requirements. Through the Requirements, the Welsh Government has been driving up standards in the quality of new homes developed with public funding. Many more people now live in homes that are well insulated

44

and cheaper to run, offering excellent space standards and flexibility to accommodate tenants changing needs. The Welsh Government audits applications for Social Housing Grant to maintain the Development Quality Requirements standard and the Welsh Government will review the Development Quality Requirements standard in 2013/14 to ensure it continues to maintain a high standard, tempered by a good balance between quality and value.

Providing funding to improve peoples’ homes The Sustainable Development Scheme states that; ‘we will use government funding from housing and other sources to provide affordable and suitably adapted housing, lever in private funds to provide affordable housing, and use a broad range of resources, help and support to maintain and improve homes. Housing will be a key lever for stimulating private investment which will contribute to the sustainable regeneration of communities’ and this is a core aim of the current government. In terms of progress in the past financial year the Welsh Government are intending to provide Innovative Funding, this includes providing a revenue stream of £4 million per annum in order to assist Registered Social Landlords with repaying private finance that the sector will borrow to fund the development of over 1,000 affordable homes across Wales over the next three year period. This initiative, to begin in the financial year 2013-14 will also see a new form of finance for Wales’s Registered Social Landlords sector, in light of the lack of available bank and building society finance. The Welsh Government has brought together twenty Registered Social Landlords who are involved in the process to identify a suitable collective funding product. Where Welsh Government is providing funding, or support to a particular development, we are able to use leverage to improve the standards of homes. We actively consider and review developments against the Development Quality Requirements, consider this to be a benchmark standard for quality in all new homes. We engage and discuss changes with developers to improve the quality of new homes and encourage them to make changes to bring all new homes closer to the Development Quality Requirements standard and in future, the Housing Quality Standards will continue to actively consider and review developments against the Development Quality Requirements wherever possible.

Preventing homelessness The Welsh Government invests over £136 million in the Supporting People Programme annually. It supports more than 70,000 people each year to live as independently as they can. The programme aims to prevent problems by providing help as early as possible.

45

Of those helped by the programme, significant proportions are older people receiving a very small package of support. However, it also supports a wide range of people including; households fleeing domestic violence, people at risk from homelessness or getting over a period of homelessness, as well as people with mental health needs or substance misuse needs or a learning disability. Some of the main aims include;

Ensuring high quality services, which are delivered as efficiently and

effectively as possible through joint working between organisations that

plan and fund services and those that provide services.

Putting people using services and in need of support at the heart of the

programme.

At a local and regional level, the programme takes forward a number of strategic aims reflecting Community Safety, Homelessness Prevention and Health, Social Care and Wellbeing objectives. The programme aims to deliver high quality and strategically planned housing-related support services that are cost effective, complement existing services and provide service users with the best possible outcomes. The programme implements a preventative approach by providing funds services that help people to maintain their housing and reduce demand on other more costly services such as health and social services. The main contribution of the programme is to a Sustainable Society. Homelessness, or a lack of stable accommodation, is strongly associated with poor health. For some it can lead to offending behaviour which increases the burden on agencies. The programme helps to build more sustainable communities and can reduce demands on statutory services such as health, social services and criminal justice services. It benefits the person receiving the support and the general public. It also has an economic benefit, although more work is required to accurately quantify this. Recent research undertaken for Carmarthenshire County Council found that, for every £1 spent on SP services, £2.30 is saved in other service areas.

Improving the quality of food in schools The overall aim of this project is to improve the food in schools so that children and young people consume nutritious food and drink and develop healthy eating habits. Encourage the take up of free school meals by those who are eligible. These activities contribute towards improving wellbeing, reducing health inequality and the child poverty agenda , acting as a preventative approach.

46

Reports received from local authorities indicate that food and nutrient standards are met in most primary schools, but are proving more challenging in secondary schools. In the financial year 2012-13 we have worked towards the introduction of legislation requiring local authorities to provide food and drink in schools that meets specific standards; worked towards the introduction of legislation requiring local authorities to provide free breakfasts in primary schools and giving local authorities the power to charge flexibly for school meals; published a report on the factors that affect the take up of free school meals by pupils; kept a watching brief on the welfare reform agenda. In future, the programme will:

publish statutory guidance on free breakfasts, flexible charging and healthy eating in schools;

introduce legislation to revise the eligibility criteria for free school meals, in line with the rollout of UC.

Improving behaviour and attendance of children and young people in school Following on from the previous case study, the aim of this programme is to improve behaviour and attendance in schools so that children and young people attend school and focus on their lessons. This affects their attainment and their ability to fulfil their potential. Longer term, this contributes towards their employability, their ability to earn a living wage, and future benefit dependency. Attendance in schools has improved steadily. Data for 2011/12 shows significant improvement in primary and secondary school attendance. The Children and Young People’s Committee’s inquiry into attendance and behaviour found that good practice in tackling poor behaviour and attendance could be shared more widely. In 2012-13 we:

announced that £800,000 in funding would be made available over two financial years (2012-13 and 2013-14) to support consortia to develop and embed good practices to secure sustainable improvements in school attendance.

worked towards the introduction of legislation (from September 2013) to enable local authorities to issue fixed penalty notices for persistent unauthorised absence at school.

We worked towards the introduction of legislation (from April 2013) requiring local authorities to provide counselling to children in Year 6 and those aged between 11 and 18. (The evidence indicates that counselling improves behaviour).

47

In future, we will make available a module on behaviour management for newly qualified teachers and also to develop materials on appearance related bullying and gender based bullying

Improving literacy and numeracy in schools Research has shown that improved literacy and numeracy leads to better outcomes for individuals as they improve their own economic currency and therefore their life chances (The Value of Basic Skills in the British Labour Market, De Coulon et al, 2007, The long term costs of numeracy difficulties, Every Child a Chance Trust, 2009). The same sources conclude that Literacy and numeracy skills are the most fundamental skills needed (ibid) which can enable individuals to improve themselves and, for those affected, break out of poverty and into an active workforce. In 2009–10, Estyn reported that despite achieving some progress in literacy in the last six years, Wales still has problems with low-level basic literacy. The 2010–11 report recorded some improvement, but still nowhere near enough, stating that 40 per cent of pupils in Wales still arrive at secondary school with reading ages below their chronological age. Using maths as a proxy, we can see that in the 2010/11 GCSE results for Wales, 60 per cent of entrants in GCSE mathematics achieved grade A*–C, which shows progress from 54 per cent in 2005/06. However, this compares with progress from 56 per cent in 2005/06 to 67 per cent in 2010/11 in England. In 2012, we published the National Literacy Programme and National Numeracy Programme to address this underperformance through a range of actions. We have already begun delivering actions in partnership with regional education consortia and school and will continue to do this, alongside a programme of monitoring and evaluation. We launched a National Support Programme for literacy and numeracy to help teacher understand how they can teach literacy and numeracy across the curriculum. Funding regional consortia to identify and deploy Outstanding Teachers of Literacy and Numeracy.

Progress of the Education for Sustainable Development and

Global Citizenship (ESDGC) initiative Sustainable development is embedded across all education sectors, through Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC). Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship raises learners’ awareness about their responsibilities to their communities and the world. It also helps them appreciate their impact on other people, the economy and the local and global environment.

48

Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship has now been mainstreamed across all education sectors and the focus is on delivery. Estyn, as part of its Common Inspection Framework, assesses the quality and provision of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in all the education sectors that it inspects. This is to ensure that it is effectively embedded and that good practice is shared. Each year Estyn undertakes around 15-20 thematic reviews, which examine various aspects of education and training policy and how they are delivered by providers. In January 2013, the Minister for Education and Skills, as part of his remit to Estyn for 2013-14, asked Estyn to undertake a thematic review of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, to assess the extent to which improvements are being made. The review will measure progress on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship quality and delivery and provide a clear indication of how effectively it has been embedded since 2006, when Estyn produced a baseline report on this issue. Work on the review will start from April 2013. Estyn is expected to report in mid 2014. The findings will help to establish how effectively Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship is currently being delivered and whether further work is required. It will also support future planning and development of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship.

Implementing Wales’ Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship initiative across the education sector The International Education Programme is aiming to ensure that Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship is implemented across all sectors of education, as well as increase overseas working and promoting Wales. There are also goals to create a broader based curriculum, improve school effectiveness/learner attainment, and improve commercialisation opportunities, broadening Wales’ research base and the international standing of institutions. The budget has been spent as profiled and targets and outputs have been met, or re-negotiated in year, where slippage has been encountered and new targets added as appropriate. Examples of outputs can be seen below:- School Partnerships - 56 schools were approved for funding and 79 schools are currently in partnerships. Welsh Language Project 3 outward Welsh teachers to Patagonia, 4 incoming Patagonians on Welsh language training and 1 teaching co-ordinator based in Patagonia. Receipt of Progress reports ensuring that work continues as set out in the agreements. On-going work will be monitored in-house, regular meetings

49

held and lines of communication kept open. Any changes to targets will be formally agreed as the programme develops. An evaluation of the programme will be undertaken in 2014-15.

Increasing the levels of youth engagement and progression There are clear benefits to the Welsh economy, wider society and most importantly to young people and their families in increasing youth engagement and progression. Wales needs more young people to successfully progress to further and higher education and into skilled employment. The failure to engage young people increases the costs associated with health and social services, and contributes to the challenges associated with long term unemployment. The importance of this key area is that it aims to prevent long term unemployment and looks ahead to how better benefit future generations. Given the on-going economic challenges we are committed to ensuring the best possible opportunities exist for maximising Youth Engagement and Progression in Wales. Throughout the last year officials have been working closely with local authorities and partners to develop and test the most effective approaches to local implementation and we have developed a framework around the needs of young people. Targets have been set out in the ‘Tackling Poverty Action Plan 2012-2016’ to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training at aged 16-18 to 9% by 2016/17 and for those 19-24 the target will be to reduce the proportion of young people aged 19-24 who are not in education, employment or training in Wales relative to the UK as a whole by 2016/17.

Improving learning opportunities The main aim of the Transformation Policy is “to develop and implement an education and training system that offers a wide range of learning opportunities; is responsive to all learners and employers; ensures effective use of resources for learner benefit; and tackles disadvantage”. Implementation of this policy is intended to provide greater effectiveness and efficiency, increased flexibility and more integrated delivery across all education provider sectors. The Transformation policy has stimulated and supported a number of further education institution (FEI) mergers across Wales. Mergers proposed to complete over the next few months put us clearly on target to achieve the reduction from 20 in 2009 to 8-12 during 2013, a year ahead of the target identified in the Programme for Government. Mergers are a key policy driver and a means of ensuring greater strategic effectiveness and cost efficiency. Initial indications of efficiency gains arising from mergers are significant and Department for Education and Skills expects the institutions to re-invest these sums to the benefit of learners, businesses and the local community.

50

As for further progression, given the three year horizon for full evaluation, many of the merger benefits will not be evidenced until 2014-15. The Transformation Programme’s legacy will be felt far beyond its activity end, mergers and post-16 developments will continue through the Further Education and Apprenticeship Division from July.

Developing skills and knowledge in the Heads of the Valleys region The University of the Heads of the Valleys programme was created in 2009 to develop knowledge and skills bases within the Heads of the Valley area and to equip local communities with the skills needed for 21st Century employment. In turn, this is expected to contribute to the regeneration of the Valleys, improving job prospects and the quality of life for those living and working in the region. This initiative is a Programme for Government priority supported by a Welsh Government grant of £9 million covering four academic years from 2009 to 2013 and this will primarily address social and economic issues in the Heads of the Valleys relating to low higher education participation and skills. A University of the Heads of the Valleys Executive Board was established to govern the initiative, and 15 staff have been recruited, over a three year period to develop and manage the learning programme, under the directorship of Helen Marshall, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan. This team has focussed on reaching out to local communities, responding to need and demand; and working with employers and education providers to deliver appropriate local higher education opportunities to hard-to-reach communities. Through 2009/10, the initiative was built into a series of short-term activities and learning opportunities to engage hard-to-reach learners. Longer-term strategies and plans to improve skills and qualifications levels were developed in parallel, focussing on identified areas of need and potential employment opportunities. Marketing and recruitment activity began in earnest in late 2010 and relevant programmes of learning have developed and are embedded in locally accessible venues. Much of this provision meets the growing demand for part-time study, work based learning and bite-sized learning as well as the more traditional full-time study. Over the past financial year, the University of the Heads of the Valleys has achieved;

In 2011-12 1992 students studied 86,350 credits against a target of 83,900 (103%).

Recruitment for 2012-13 is on target with 1713 students and 94,750 credits.

A high quality delivery network has been grown from a starting point of staff at University of Wales, Newport and the University of Glamorgan. The network comprises four local FEIs, private training providers and a

51

further involvement of other higher education institutes and further education institutes to deliver specific activity and projects.

Employer engagement is growing as businesses respond positively to the flexible and responsive full-time and part-time courses University of the Heads of the Valleys can provide, with shorter awards ranging from 5-60 credits proving popular.

The experience of University of the Heads of the Valleys in developing mapped progression routes from Level 3 to Level 4 in the Heads of the Valleys region now enables clear pathways for learners to attain degree level qualifications. By more closely linking activities with the student number planning and curriculum development of the New University of South Wales, further opportunities for ensuring progression will be realised and also applied to the wider region concentrating on those areas with additional need. The mainstreaming of the full-time student provision within the New University demonstrates the commitment of the New University to the University of the Heads of the Valleys programme and the continued application of dedicated resource and experience in widening participation and engaging with local business to enhance employability of the population. This experience can be shared across the region to support further developments at other colleges whilst at the same time creating efficiencies of operation.

Addressing the housing needs of rural communities in Wales Rural Housing Enablers (RHE’s) act as independent honest brokers and raise awareness of housing and related wider issues in rural Wales. They act as a catalyst for change where it is needed and are a vital resource for communities. Rural Housing Enablers work with and on behalf of rural communities across Wales to address the shortage of affordable homes. The work involves identifying the local need for housing and searching for development opportunities or empty properties to bring back into use. This work is carried out in partnership with the local community, as well as other interested parties for example housing and planning The main outcome is to deliver much needed affordable housing within rural communities. The communities’ interests are always central to the project to ensure homes fit with the existing built and natural environment.

From start to completion of any homes, the length of time can vary depending on the community’s support and many other factors. It can take many years to achieve success however the benefits can help revive declining communities and provide local people with much needed affordable homes.

Rural Housing Enablers projects:

Identify local housing need

Raise awareness of barriers and challenges

52

Support increased affordable housing supply where required

Evidence wider community benefits

Brokerage for rural communities re housing and related issues The Rural Housing Enablers are trying to deal with a shortage of affordable housing within rural areas so is a reactive rather than preventative approach. However, it could be concluded that it is a preventative approach given that the Rural Housing Enablers have been funded to increase the supply of affordable housing which is preventing a further decline in affordable housing in rural areas. In terms of sustainable development the role of the Rural Housing Enablers is to maintain and revive the sustainability of rural communities. It is about providing the right homes in the right places for local people which can bring about wider economic and community benefits. The role of the Rural Housing Enablers is currently being evaluated which will assess whether the provision of Rural Housing Enablers projects have met the objectives originally set out for the role, and will look to assess the impact this role has had on rural housing issues at a local community level as well as regionally and nationally. The evaluation will also explore the effectiveness of the model currently used to fund the Rural Housing Enablersand future funding decisions will be based around the evaluation conclusions and recommendations.

Helping elderly and disabled people get around The all Wales concessionary fare scheme for disabled and elderly correlates well with the above programme as the two can be linked closely. This programme was introduced in 2002 and replaced local authority funded schemes. These local authority schemes had widely differing eligibility criteria and the all Wales scheme aimed to rationalise this position. The policy is preventative as it aims to reduce or even prevent the isolation of older and disabled people. On introduction the entitlement criteria was initially set at 60 years old for women and 65 years old for men and everyone who met the disability criteria. In 2003 the age limit for men was reduced to match women at 60 years old which is five years below the current state retirement age. The Concessionary Fares Scheme aims to reduce the isolation of older and disabled people by improving their access to health and social activities. In that way, their health and wellbeing will be improved. The scheme also helps to encourage economic activity by improving pass holders’ access to work and services. The scheme links primarily to both the economic and social pillars of sustainable development, while reducing reliance on private cars contributes

53

to a shift to public transport and the consequential environmental benefits. As for the future, the Welsh Government remains committed to the scheme. The scheme is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that it continues to meet its objectives.

Supporting disabled children and adults live independent lives Similar to other programmes, this activity’s aim is to enable a society in which disabled children and adults enjoy the right to independent living and social inclusion. For the longer term it promotes an integrated approach to public service delivery with a focus on giving disabled people a stronger voice in how services are provided. In the past financial year 2012-2013 there is a focus on seven key priorities and these are;

Information, advice and advocacy

Housing

Personalised care and support

Person-centred technology

Transport

Access to the built environment.

Employment

During 2012, extensive engagement and consultation with disabled people was undertaken with their representative organisations, and with stakeholders and officials with experience in the priority areas above. This resulted in the development of a draft Framework which was issued for consultation from September to December 2012. The draft framework included evidence gathered from engagement and from analysing research and statistical evidence. This highlighted inequality e.g. in educational achievement and employment, access to transport and buildings, housing conditions and home ownership. These issues are inter-related e.g. limited access to transport and buildings further restricts educational and employment opportunities. As well as focusing on how we can remove barriers to inclusion, the Framework emphasises the importance of building the leadership and capacity of disabled people’s organisations so that they can provide the driver for the person-centred, joined-up approach that is needed for sustainable improvement. In future, consideration to the consultation responses and review the draft Framework will be taken on board with the key messages. We will work with our partners to identify specific aims and outcomes, and the performance indicators that will be used to measure progress. These will be included in the final Framework to be published in September 2013.

54

Health in Wales

Health is a key contributory factor for the overall wellbeing of Wales. If people are in good physical and mental health, they are more able to play a full role in all aspects of society, from contributing in their local communities to contributing to the economy. Health therefore has a critical role in helping achieve our overall vision for sustainable development. Work in such diverse areas as tackling health inequalities, improving and protecting health across different stages of the life course, and ensuring health services are safe and sustainable for the long term, all have an important contribution to make to the sustainable development agenda. Service Change

Together for Health, the Welsh Government’s five-year vision for the NHS in Wales, committed the NHS in Wales to ensuring all services are placed on a safe and sustainable footing. Factors driving change included the difficulty of recruiting doctors to some specialties, growing demand for NHS services and meeting the health and care needs of an increasingly elderly population. Three regional plans were developed in response to these challenges covering North Wales, Mid and West Wales, and South Wales. Widespread public engagement and consultation took place during 2012 and 2013. Common themes included the need to concentrate specialised services onto fewer sites, and the need to provide the majority of non emergency services closer to people’s homes. With over 60,000 consultation responses to consider, the South Wales Plan has still to conclude and decisions are expected by the end of this year. Local Health Boards are required to keep all services under continuous review and further service change plans are anticipated, particularly for the North Wales area. Tackling health inequalities

Whilst the health of the people of Wales is generally improving, we know that the improvements are not currently shared by everyone. For example, life expectancy has increased more slowly in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived in Wales. Work has continued to implement the broad range of actions in Fairer Health Outcomes For All (FHOFA), the Welsh Government’s strategic action plan for reducing health inequalities. This involves action across a range of policy areas, which reflects the complexity and long term nature of this issue. One example of where a policy area contributes to the overall drive to reduce health inequalities is our work to implement Wales’ tobacco control action plan, as smoking has been identified as a key cause of health inequalities. Supporting people to achieve control over their health and wellbeing An important message in Together for Health is the need to support and empower people in Wales to gain greater control over their own health and wellbeing, and for that of their family and community. This principle is

55

reflected across a spectrum of our programmes and initiatives. One specific example during the last year has been our work to develop a programme of health checks for people aged over 50. This programme involves the development of an online health and wellbeing assessment, supplemented by community support. It will aim to make a positive contribution to the health and wellbeing of people aged over 50 in Wales by providing information and advice on a range of issues, and facilitating access to relevant sources of support. Promoting good health Another important element of our role in supporting people in Wales to be healthy is by seeking to prevent avoidable ill health occurring in the first place. Public health campaigns supported by Welsh Government play an important role in this by raising awareness of a range of issues which contribute to overall health and wellbeing. Over the past year a number of campaigns have focused on Wales’ lifestyle priorities, such as obesity, alcohol misuse and smoking. Campaigns such as Change4Life have an important role in promoting healthy lifestyles whilst others have focused on discrete issues, such as the Fresh Start Wales campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking in cars carrying children. Environments which promote health

An important way we can support good health is by helping to create supportive environments. An example of this type of work is the Healthy and Sustainable Pre-School Scheme, which was introduced in September 2011 to support pre-school settings in developing a whole-setting approach to health, which would lead to a sustainable change. By March 2013 over 300 settings were actively involved in this work. The role of legislation We also started a discussion over the past year to explore whether new laws could help to further improve and protect health and wellbeing in Wales. This discussion was initiated through a Green Paper and ‘Big Health Debate.’ The consultation received an encouraging response and we are continuing to explore this issue in light of the responses received. NHS Estate The NHS has continued to focus on reducing energy consumption and emissions. With the introduction of ISO 14001 certification at all major NHS sites and the introduction of annual carbon footprint reporting it is expected that both absolute CO2 emissions and the carbon performance indicator (PI) will improve in subsequent years. Local Health Boards (LHBs) and Trusts submit their carbon diagnostic tool (CarDio) returns each year. This allows them to report their carbon emissions on an annual basis, to benchmark against each other and to compare against the 2010-11 baseline.

56

An Emissions Reduction Action Plan Tool has also been developed for NHS Wales by Carbon Trust Wales and NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Facilities Services (NWSSP-FS). This tool, which has been completed by each NHS organisation, provides a 5 year programme of projects that will lead to emissions reductions and identifies the capital cost, the revenue savings and carbon savings in future years. NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Facilities Services continues to facilitate the Welsh Health Environmental Forum and its associated website, which acts as a central hub for the sharing of good practice and the exchange of environmental information.

57

Chapter 6: The Wellbeing of Wales

VISION Wales’ approach to sustainable development is based on the contribution of its people and rooted in its rich and diverse culture, supporting and sustaining our traditions, languages and heritage. The pursuit of equality of opportunity is a continuing challenge to achieve a sustainable Wales - where every individual has equal rights, respects each other, and plays a role in which they can fulfil their potential within an inclusive society.

Headline Indicator

5 Wellbeing – physical and mental health – life satisfaction

Indicators

24 Education

25 Childhood poverty

26 Pensioner poverty

27 Workless households

28 Active community participation

29 Welsh Language

OUR ACTIONS IN 2012-13 The following section highlights areas where we have taken action to achieve the vision for the wellbeing of Wales.

Safeguarding Wales’ cultural heritage Another key part of Welsh culture is our heritage and various museums and through CyMAL division’s programmes, and the work of our sponsored bodies, we will widen access to Wales’ many heritage and cultural activities to encourage participation by everyone (irrespective of where they live, their background or their income) developing sustainable models of service delivery which attract new audiences. Over the past financial year the National Library and National Museums have been working to;

Increase energy efficiency, reduce waste and reduce carbon footprint

Mainstream sustainable development into activities and planning e.g. building strategies

Achieve relevant environmental standards (Green Dragon / BS8555)

Promoting green behaviour (e.g. recycling, composting, green transport and car sharing)

A new bus route for National Library users was launched in September 2012, following a local regeneration partnership. A new low emission and environmentally friendly bus provides direct public transport links between

58

various cultural and sporting venues in Aberystwyth. They have also been improving online access to information and resources for Welsh museum, archive and library service users continues to be a key area for national collaboration, including roll-out of a free e-books library service across Wales, and all-Wales procurement of electronic information resources under the Libraries Inspire strategy. During 2012/13 Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (AC-NMW) installed 50KWH photo-voltaic installations at two of its sites and saw the benefit of a combined heat and power unit that was installed at the National Museum Cardiff. As a result the electricity generated by the National Museum increased to 28506 KWH over the year. The museum achieved a ranking of 325 of 2097 entries in the Carbon Reduction Commitment performance table and as such was ranked as the best performing museum with environmentally controlled art galleries in the UK.

Protecting Wales’ historic buildings and monuments Cadw also continues to promote sustainable travel in all of its visitor information. To encourage the use of sustainable transport to its sites, public transport details are published for each monument so that rail, bus and cycling networks are easy to identify. Cadw has also invested in cycle racks at 25 monuments and there activities relate specifically to Indicators 22 on Accessible transport and Indicator 28 dealing with active community participation. In 2011-12 an initiative with Arriva Trains Wales was in place, where visitors who travelled by train to Criccieth and Harlech could claim two for one admission at the castles. This initiative has been extended for 2012/13. Cadw is working to increase community participation in the historic environment by providing volunteering opportunities at monuments in Cadw’s care and other initiatives such as the community archaeology programme. The Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage introduced his Historic Environment Strategy for Wales in October 2012. A Headline Action Plan has also been established to compliment the Strategy and provide an overview of the actions identified for its implementation. The Strategy is divided into 5 principal areas for action which are:

Heritage protection and sustainable development

Skills and opportunities

Public understanding of the historic environment and enjoyment

Economy

Partnership and delivery The Strategy not only aims to conserve Wales’ heritage to the best possible standard and sustain the distinctive character of Wales, but also aims to maximise the economic impact of heritage whilst seeking better engagement with communities and practical actions to tackle poverty.

59

In addition to this, work began in 2012 to introduce the Heritage Bill and the All-Wales Heritage Interpretation Plan was launched in November 2012. These measures aim to protect the historic environment by preserving properties in State care and beyond through risk registers, condition monitoring, grant funding and maintenance and conservation programmes. These measures encourage participation and access and encourage community engagement. The historic environment also makes a valuable contribution to the economy.

Improving health in the workplace Health is also a very important issue in Wales and Health Working Wales Health Working Wales works by improving the health and well being of the population through utilising the workplace as a setting for health improvement. HWW contributes to a sustainable economy by supporting employers to develop and implement a range of polices and programmes, including Green Travel Plans, and to consider the principles of sustainable development throughout the organisation. A total of 96 employers have achieved the Small Workplace Health Award and 67 have achieved the Corporate Health Standards and Health Working Wales continues to support existing award holders and to engage new employers with the programmes.

Maternity Services: giving women and their families dignity and respect Following along the health route, the Strategic Vision for Maternity Services in Wales was launched in September 2011. The Welsh Government’s visions for maternity services are services that promote pregnancy and childbirth as an event of social and emotional significance where women and their families are treated with dignity and respect. It acknowledges that from heart disease to obesity, educational achievement and economic status, the months before and the years immediately after birth are crucial to the life chances of the mother, her child and her family. Five outcome indictors and five performance measures were developed and are now used to monitor how well the maternity services are doing in developing world class services for women, their babies and their families. In addition, each Health Board now attends a bi-annual Maternity Performance Board meeting, chaired by CNO, where improvements are measured against the all Wales outcome indicators and performance measures.

Helping Wales make a contribution overseas The Wales for Africa programme seeks to support Welsh efforts to help deliver the UN Millennium Development Goals to halve global poverty by

60

2015. It reflects our recognition that people and organisations have impacts that extend beyond the borders of Wales and our continued desire for Wales to be an outward facing nation that confidently recognises the contribution we can make to the world as active and responsible global citizens. Wales Africa Community Links By the end of 2013-13 the Wales Africa Community Links project had supported 137 community linking organisations with 294 community-based projects tackling poverty in Africa and providing benefits to those involved in Wales. The UN Development Programme endorsed the initiative as leading the world by example. Wales for Africa Health Links Network In 2012-13 the Wales for Africa Health Links Network focussed on a more coordinated and collaborative approach to their work. Two large grant applications to Tropical Health and Education Trusts’ international partnership fund were successful – one brining together four links between Wales and Uganda. The Network also secured funding from the Welsh Government in 2013-14 to employ a Development Officer. Fair Trade Wales Wales continues its commitment to Fair Trade by supporting the work of Fair Trade Wales. In 2012-13 nearly 50% of towns, 82% of local authorities, 93% of universities and thousands of churches have achieved fair trade status. Close to 200 schools in Wales have achieved their Fairtrade School Award and 50% of schools are registered on the scheme. International Learning Opportunities In 2012-13, 14 Welsh professionals completed work placements to support public service and voluntary organisations in Uganda, Zambia, Lesotho and Cameroon. International Development Hub In 2012-13 the Wales International Development Hub brought together the Wales for Africa and wider international development community in Wales through free training, funding seminars, dialogue days and the Wales International Development Summit. Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD) The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD) is made up of 50 sub-national governments from 30 countries. Altogether, the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development represents around 600 territories in the World. The Welsh Government Environment and Sustainable Development Minister participated in the 18th Conference of the Parties in Doha in November 2012. Whilst at the conference, the Minister contributed to a high lever Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development event – highlighting the work of Wales and illustrating Wales as an exemplar for other nations.

Size of Wales Million Trees Project

61

The Welsh Government has been working in partnership with the Size of Wales for the past three years – towards a shared goal of planting one million trees in the Mbale region of Uganda. The programme is being delivered by three local national government organisations and a social enterprise. Each has some experience of tree planting but importantly their partnership is, for the first time, sharing that expertise, and that of the District Authorities, so that many more people in the region gain the necessary skills to engage in tree planting and understand the long term positive effects for their communities. Welsh Government and Lesotho Meteorological Services Wales and Lesotho agreed a joint programme of work on climate change at the UN Climate Change Summit in Doha (December 2012). The aim of the partnership is to exchange knowledge, skills and resources in jointly producing a Climate Change Strategy and delivery plan for Lesotho. To date, two Welsh placements have taken place with Lesotho Meteorological Services. Both placements were successful with initial work on building the partnership and ground work for the strategy being completed. Clean Energy Grants There is a requirement in the Welsh Government Ministerial Code that ‘all air travel by Ministers should be offset by the purchase of credits from carbon emission reduction projects.’ This commitment was made in 2007. In 2012-13 £10K was allocated from the scheme, with a further £40K being made available from the Wales for Africa programme.

Improving Welsh Language The Welsh Government wants Wales to be a truly bilingual nation: a country where people can choose to live their lives through the medium of either Welsh or English. In order to help fulfil that vision, the Welsh Government has made a commitment in its current Welsh language strategy, ‘A living language: a language for living – Welsh Language Strategy 2012-17’ which sets out a clear responsibility for the whole of the Welsh Government to lead on the future of the Welsh language. Our vision is to see the Welsh language thriving in Wales. The Welsh Government will take the lead on delivering that vision. We will work with a wide range of partners who will play a full part in ensuring that it is realised. Also, Section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 imposes a statutory requirement upon the Welsh Ministers to adopt a Welsh language scheme. Section 78(8) of the 2006 Act also states that, after each financial year, the Welsh Ministers must publish a report of how the proposals set out in their scheme were implemented in that financial year. The report sets out: a) the work undertaken to implement the Government’s Welsh Language Scheme;

62

b) examples of how the Welsh language was mainstreamed across Government as policies and services were developed; c) a general overview of the Welsh Language Division’s work during 2012-13. The key developments during 2012-13 were as follows:

The Welsh Government’s new five-year Welsh Language Strategy – A living language: a language for living came into force on 1 April 2012.

On 1 April 2012, the Welsh Language Commissioner’s office came into being, with the principal aim of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language. This will entail raising awareness of the official status of the Welsh language in Wales and by imposing standards on organizations. This, in turn, will lead to the establishment of rights for Welsh speakers.

Work on Welsh Language Standards commenced during the year. These will replace the 500+ Welsh Language Schemes currently in place, and will fully meet the policy aims reflected in the Welsh Language Measure and the commitments given to the National Assembly for Wales by the Minister at the time.

The first 2011 Census results on the Welsh language in Wales were published by the Office for National Statistics on 11 December 2012. These first results include data at a Wales and local authority level.

An internal Welsh language Task and Finish group met monthly for a 12 month period in 2011-12. It was chaired by the then Director General of DfES. The Group presented its report and recommendations to the Government’s Management Board in October 2012, and they were approved.

The newly established Welsh Language Technology and Digital Media Group met three times in 2012 and held a seminar in June 2012 to engage the opinion of the public on the potential of developing more Welsh language software, applications, tools and online digital content.

These achievements, and others throughout the Welsh Language Annual Report, illustrate the Welsh Government’s strong and continued commitment to mainstreaming the Welsh language, both throughout the Welsh Government and in the communities of Wales. The report provides details about the very wide range of activities undertaken by the Welsh Government and its partners in support of the language. It shows how the Welsh Government has continued to mainstream the language into more and more of its activities, from providing services to the public to developing new policies to benefit communities across Wales. The Welsh Government remains fully committed to the Welsh language and we want to see more people having the opportunity to use it in day-to-day life.

63

Chapter 7: Effectiveness Review: Update

In January 2012 the Welsh Government published a report produced by independent consultants on their assessment of how effective the Sustainable Development Scheme had been in promoting sustainable development. This was a reflection of the duty placed on Welsh Ministers under section 79(7) of the Government of Wales Act 2006. The report authors, pwc, identified a series of recommendations or ‘next steps’ that they identified the Welsh Government should progress to further strengthen sustainable development across the organisation. In the time since the Effectiveness Review report was published a number of key developments have happened that relate closely to more than one of the ‘next steps’. For that reason this section provides an overriding summary statement of action as opposed to a step by step work through each element. This provides a clearer illustrating of efforts across the Welsh Government to strengthen performance on sustainable development as a collective effort and is broken into three key areas of leadership, embedding sustainable development in government and enabling others. Leadership

Pwc highlighted the opportunity the Sustainable Development Bill, now known as the Future Generations Bill, to maximise participation and awareness on sustainable development. Two successful consultation exercises were held in the reporting period, both receiving considerable interest on the part of stakeholders who either attended engagement events across Wales as well as detailed views on the proposals set out, initially through a consultation document in May 2012 and subsequently in the White Paper proposals in January 2013. Alongside the May consultation exercise, the Welsh Government provided a series of case studies to provide context and illustrate the end goal it s approach was trying to achieve. There has been a continuation of this work through the further development of case studies to clarify more generally good practice on sustainable development. These will be published as part of the engagement work surrounding the Future Generations Bill later this year. The White Paper was accompanied with a ‘Resource Pack’ that offered advice and guidance on the Welsh Government’s proposals so that stakeholder groups could hold separate discussions on the Bill away from the official events. Approximately 5,000 organisations and individuals received bulletins from the Welsh Government over the consultation period. Opportunities to engage further with stakeholders were sought during the consultation period. This included Welsh Government led events in Llandudno Junction, Llandrindod Wells and Cardiff. Around 190 people attended these sessions with delegates coming from a cross section of sectors, including those working in health, education, Fire Service, the Police, transport, planning, Local Authorities, council members and members of the public. The Welsh Government received 473 responses to the consultation. 177 responses were received from members of the public sending a standard response on behalf of

64

the Welsh Language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith. 142 responses were received from members of the public sending a response on behalf of Friends of the Earth Cymru. The remaining 154 responses were received from a wide variety of organisations and private individuals, mostly in the public sector but also in the private and third sector. In September 2012 the Welsh Government established an external reference in order to inform the development of the Bill. The group chaired by the Commissioner for Sustainable Futures, includes representatives from a range of public service organisations that will be subject to the Bill, and organisations interested in sustainable development. The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty has written to the Commissioner to emphasise the need for the membership of the Reference Group to be appropriately balanced to ensure that there is sufficient representation from the social and economic as well as environmental sectors, and those who will be affected by the provisions in the Bill. Within the internal governance arrangements for the Welsh Government last year’s report highlighted the role of the Delivering Results Principles that are based on:

Fit with Government’s programme and Ministerial priorities;

Impact on the people of Wales and supporting evidence;

Cost of our investment;

Mechanisms available to incentivise change; and

Management of the work.

Sustainable Development aligns with and is recognised clearly in its approach. The Delivering Results remain a key guide for Welsh Government officials when developing policy or key initiatives enabling a proportionate approach to be taken. Support also continues for the ‘sustainable development as a central organising principle’ training course to ensure that this principle is understood across the organisation. The First Minister's Delivery Unit has a role to play in challenging and testing the robustness and delivery of key activities across Welsh Government, and identifying opportunities to align policies and programmes where relevant so that they deliver greater and more effective outcomes. Sustainability is at the heart of this outcome-based approach. Underlying the Welsh Government’s approach to embedding sustainable development in the political governance arrangements has been the continuing work on its legislative proposals for sustainable development. Two key issues or note occurred in the reporting period. Firstly, the realignment of sustainable development policy within the Communities and Tackling Poverty portfolio. Though strong connections have always existed through the Welsh approach to sustainable development, that focuses strongly on principles of fairness and social justice, there has been a tendency for it to be misunderstood as an environmental priority. The realignment has enabled Ministers and officials to more expressly highlight the connections and relevance that sustainable development has as a means to deliver against a key Ministerial priority of tackling poverty. The second change has been in the retitling of the Sustainable Development Bill to Future Generations Bill. As

65

outlined by the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty in his statement of 18 July 20139 its purpose was to “better communicate its purpose and foster greater cross-sectoral involvement in how we use legislation to ensure that the decisions of today are better for the long term”. The Programme for Government has at its heart a focus on the development of a fairer society that lets everyone make the most of their abilities and contribute to their communities. This articulation means that the setting of priorities and individual objectives from senior to junior civil servants is based within this context. The process of setting objectives will be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Staff are then able to consider how they are contributing to sustainable development goals within the context of the Programme for Government. Embedding of sustainable development in government The FG Bill has highlighted the challenge and value in aligning sustainable development with the government programme of the day. Last year’s report identified the difficulty in drawing together the current Sustainable Development Scheme with the Programme for Government given the difference in the publication period. This remains true and the proposals set out in the White Paper for the Sustainable Development Bill outlined an outcome based approach requiring future government programmes to place an even stronger emphasis on sustainable development principles. Greater consistency between sustainable development and the government programme will occur as a result of this element of the Bill. The Annual Report process itself remains a key part of the Welsh Government’s work around sustainable development. Illustrating numerous examples across Welsh Government where sustainable development outcomes are being realised. The Energy Wales Programme, Food Waste Treatment Programme and Families First programme featured within the report help illustrate how sustainable development considerations are recognised actively. In improving policy with sustainable development principles, the First Minister’s legislation programme has been developed with so that each Bill is aligned to complement one another. A Legislative Programme Board (LPB) of Welsh Government officials monitors each piece of legislation so that there is consistency in how they are formed and the outcomes they seek to progress. The Legislative Programme Board play a key role in ensuring that legislation is developed through the context of sustainable development.

In our spending plans, when faced with hard choices we choose the option that works best for the long term, such as investing in better early education and support for families now to prevent social hardship later; helping Welsh citizens and businesses to use energy more efficiently to prepare for future price rises; or recognising that supporting the health and welfare of people in Wales means we need to focus on housing and social services as well as the NHS.

9 http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2013/futuregenerationsbill/?lang=en

66

We also need to ensure that decisions are financially sustainable to ensure that decisions and commitments can be honoured in the longer term – this is critical to sustainable development. Last year’s Budget enabled us to deliver our Programme for Government. It set out the spending plans that underpin our action to deliver our vision for a sustainable Wales. Our approach is to ensure that our internal budgetary process supports the priorities that will deliver sustainable development. It is therefore not a discrete exercise but fundamental to what we do.

In enabling the mainstreaming of sustainable development across the Welsh Government key tools such as the development case study examples will help provide a clearer context of how it should be applied on a day to day basis. A network of Sustainable Development Advocates within the Welsh Government has been trialed as a mechanism share knowledge and learning on sustainable development across the organization. This has worked well in part, but we have learnt that further refinement of the group is needed to focus on key tasks as well as communicating issues relevant to the sustainable development agenda. The sustainable development team will work closely with the Advocates as well as relevant officials to help ensure the messages around the Future Generations Bill are understood. The Welsh Government has been looking at the use of key measures of progress in respect of the sustainable development. The White Paper document outlined the need for clearly defined outcomes and corresponding indicators. This will be a key element of the Future Generations Bill and will require a reassessment of the current suite of sustainable development indicators. There would be a significant disadvantage in attempting to review the indicators ahead of the passing of the Bill, however part of the monitoring arrangements for the Programme for Government include assessing the appropriateness of its indicators. During the reporting period, the Welsh Government has been working with the new economics foundation as part of its BRAINPOol (Bringing Indicators into Policy) project looking directly at the use of the SD indicators by the Welsh Government. Its findings will be available to report upon in the next annual report. Enabling others

The Welsh Government has continued to rely on the leadership and expertise of the Sustainable Futures Commissioner and Cynnal Cymru to support its work on sustainable development. The Commissioner has provided a crucial role in the development of policy proposals ahead of both consultation exercises held during the reporting period, chairing consultation events and the Bill’s external Advisory and Reference Group and engaging with organisations that will be impacted by the legislation. He will continue to have a central role in assisting Welsh Government officials to communicate the Bill and securing an understanding of its aims. The Commissioner’s work is not limited to work on the Bill and has involved a leadership role in the development of Marine Conservation Zones, Cambrian Mountains Initiative, Rural Development Plan and work in relation to the Green Economy. Proposals set out under the White Paper illustrate the value placed in this role. Supporting organisations working to adjust to the requirements of the Bill will require a stronger status for the Commissioner than is currently in place and so proposals will seek to build on the strong foundations currently in place.

67

Earlier sections highlighted the efforts to engage with key stakeholders through the proposals in the Future Generations Bill. This has included a regular bulletin outlining key developments as part of a wider communication and engagement programme. The Welsh Government has continued to support a support a sustainable development framework managed by the Welsh Local Government Association to offer specific advice above and beyond the guidance that is already available, identify areas that all local authority services can act upon straight away, as well as being challenging and present new ideas, provide practical ideas on how to do things differently and help identify and surmount barriers to implementing sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Charter remains the Welsh Government’s principal tool to engage organisations from all sectors, private, public and third, across Wales with more sustainable practices and has now grown to 155 organisations. It seeks to promote action within organisations to identify and share best practice on sustainable development with other organisations, through which we hope to develop an innovative community of practice in Wales. In November 2012 a research contract was let to undertake an independent evaluation of the Charter network and find ways to improve its performance and effectiveness. Findings from the review are expected in the next reporting period. The capacity of the Welsh Government and other public sector organisations to leverage opportunities by its public spending is outlined in later sections of this report. Examples include public procurement arrangements for low value advertising, the supplier qualification information database (SQuiD), the Community Benefits policy and electronic procurement.

68

Chapter 8: The State of the Estate In this section we focus on a range of activities across the Welsh Government that support sustainable development. These include work on staff wellbeing, volunteering, the Welsh Language and the overall energy performance of the Welsh Government.

Type of Activity

Key Achievements Targets and Narrative

Staff Wellbeing

Occupational Health

Health & Safety – Welsh Government has begun a project to attain the OHSAS 18001 standard across all of its estate (currently only Education, Science and Transport has this standard). The standard will reduce the accident rate, improve health & safety management and lead to a safer working environment for our people, visitors and contractors. The team are also bringing out a new e-learning training package for all our people, which will further increase the awareness of health & safety in the workplace, which should drive down accidents. Our Occupational Health team supports on average 125 people per month, for a range of workplace issues. We also have our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides 24 hour confidential help and support to our people. Our Occupational Health service is currently

Building on the Silver award we attained in 2012, the Wellbeing team are aligning Welsh Government with the Corporate Health Standard Gold requirements. A Stress and wellbeing steering group has been created to identify and target areas in Welsh Government and to assist. A network of volunteer Health Champions has been recruited amongst existing staff, who will promote health & wellbeing activities on a local level. Welsh Government has begun work with Carers Wales and Employers for Carers, to increase the awareness of and support available to carers within Welsh Government. Increased communications around National Wellbeing events has raised the profile of workplace wellbeing,

69

aligning itself with the SEQOHS standard (a benchmark standard for Occupational Health services in the UK). Our Occupational Health service provides book prescriptions, information leaflets, health checks, lifestyle advice to all Welsh Government people, and also professional medical opinion to HR in resolving complex sickness absence cases.

with the aim of reducing sickness absence rates yet further.

Volunteering Number of volunteering days for period was 256 days. This was made up of 85 days of team volunteering who were involved in projects for charitable organisations such as Age Concern, Wallach Charity, FareShare Cymru and Keep Wales Tidy. 171 days of individual volunteering supported projects/charities such as Student Union Volunteering, PDSA, Mental Health Charity, Operation Christmas Child, Girl Guides and Scouts and LGBT Festival.

Volunteers also supported the Welsh Government Charities of the Year, for 2012 - Alzheimer’s Society and Tools for Self Reliance and for 2013 - McMillan Nurses and Safe Foundation.

- All Welsh Government employees can take advantage of special leave for volunteering and also for volunteering to form part of their performance management review process as part of their development opportunities.

- The Welsh Government ILO (International Learning Opportunities) Development Programme provides the opportunity for individuals to undertake a longer term placement and keep in contact through the International Leaning Opportunities Alumni

- Welsh Government Leadership Programme includes a module dedicated to a volunteer activity.

- Welsh Government

70

individuals on the Fast Streamers Programme participate in volunteer activities as part of their programme of learning.

- Annual Volunteer Awards celebrate successes and good work of volunteers as nominated by fellow colleagues

- Series of volunteer events held across the organisation to recognise and raise awareness during National Volunteering Week

- Make available developmental opportunities for specific pieces of work.

Welsh Language

A key part of Welsh culture is the language which is now the oldest living language still used in Europe, therefore the Welsh Government takes pride in offering courses to employees and encouraging the use of the language in the workplace. Ysgol Iaith Acen provides Welsh language training for Welsh Government staff. They delivered 40 courses to 295 delegates during 2012/13 and courses were delivered in all of the Welsh Government’s main offices. These courses are available on 5 levels: entry, foundation, intermediate, higher and

We do not have set targets for numbers of people to be learning or fluent in the language, but departments are encouraged to consider Welsh language skill levels when planning their workforce, and are expected to encourage and support staff to improve their Welsh language skills.

There has recently been best practice guidance’s published to give advice to staff on these matters. The Government’s Welsh Language Scheme

71

proficiency. Half of the courses offered are at Levels 3–5 (Intermediate to Proficiency) allowing those already with Welsh Language skills to improve those skills as well as Gloywi iaith courses also being offered.

notes that all automatic out of office e-mails will be bilingual, and encourages all staff to answer calls with a bilingual greeting.

Mind Matters There have been around 16 events organised during 2012 – 13. These have included social activities for staff to take time out at lunch time and visit local attractions, some of which have been visits to Cardiff Castle and the Museum to see the latest exhibits. There have been Tai Chi taster sessions and Mindfulness sessions, (an opportunity for staff to meditate and explore the art of being in the here and now). We have also had a life coach providing advise to staff on setting goals and positive thinking, and also Time to Change facilitators (the strategy to tackle the stigma around mental heath) and have trained some members to become educators. Those members have since gone on to take the challenge of talking about their personal issues in a group setting.

The group has provided the opportunity for staff to meet others in similar situations and form friendships, knowing that they are not alone. It gives them the tools to identify their triggers and the confidence to try and take control of their situations.

72

Welsh Government Environmental Performance

Our commitment to sustainability includes how we manage the environmental impacts of our activities. For example, the Welsh Government has committed to achieve at least a 30% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (on a 2011 baseline). This not only ensures alignment with our Climate Change Strategy, but also shows leadership to the public sector and more broadly, to the citizens of Wales. The results to date indicate positive progress:

A 1% increase in total emissions for 2012/13 is broadly as a result of the particularly cold winter; which led to extra heating being required. Further analysis shows that electricity consumption continued to fall sharply, although gas consumption rose over the year. However, as can be seen above, we remain on track overall to achieve our long term target.

We are participants in the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency (CRC) Scheme. Commencing in 2010/11, this required us to extend monitoring of our greenhouse gas emissions from the Administrative Estate (the buildings in which we deliver Government business – which we had been monitoring for a number of years) to include energy consumption from our transport network (principally trunk road lighting and communications infrastructure); our trading portfolio (buildings we make available for Welsh businesses); and historic monuments and buildings in our care. This broadening enabled us to improve our emissions management across this wider portfolio.

On a wider front, we monitor and manage a range of environmental impacts from our Administrative Estate. Details are published each autumn in our ‘State of the Estate’ report, which contains a chapter on environmental performance against a number of key performance indicators. For example, CO2 emissions from the Administrative Estate have fallen by 17% over the past 2 years.

Some basic information on greenhouse gas emissions, waste produced and water consumption covering the Administrative Estate is shown below.

Key Environmental Performance Indicators of the Welsh Government’s Administrative EstateGreenhouse Gas EmissionsBased on energy consumption of buildings.

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Comments

Emissions(‘000 tCO2e)

Total Gross Emissions 12.5 12.1 10.4 10.4 17% overall

reduction

Gross Emissions Scope 1 (Gas)

1.9 1.9 1.6 1.9 No overall change

Scope 2 (Electricity) 10.6 10.2 8.8 8.5 20% overall

reduction

Waste Refers to domestic waste only & includes some estimation due to the nature of collection.2009-10 data not available.

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Comments

Waste disposal (tonnes)

Total Waste N/A 850 665 609 28% overall reduction

Reused/Recycled N/A 640 439 420

Amount sent to landfill fallen overall by 10%, although proportion has risen from 25% to 31%

Landfill N/A 210 226 189

Finite Resource Consumption – WaterWater consumption is partly estimated.2009-10 data not available.

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Comments

Water Consumption

Supplied (‘000 m3) N/A 78 61 49 37% overall

reduction

(fte) N/A 16 10 850% reduction per person