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Government of Wales Bill

I begin by associating the Government with the congratulations expressed by the noble Lord Lord, Livsey, to the voluntary sector in Wales on all that it does. I hope that, in answering this amendment, I will give total reassurance to everyone that we value and the Assembly values its close relationship with the voluntary sector. I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Anderson and my noble friend Lord Davies of Coity, who tabled the amendment but cannot be with us today, for raising the very important subject of the voluntary sector and giving us the opportunity to discuss it. The partnership between the voluntary sector and the Assembly has been a very positive development and I am sure that all sides of the Committee would wish that productive relationship to continue. Amendment No. 49 would have the effect of making the voluntary sector report laid before the Assembly by the Welsh Ministers subject to the approval of the Assembly. With all due respect, I must say that that fails to recognise the consequence of separating the Welsh Assembly Government from the Assembly. The voluntary sector scheme report will set out how the Welsh Ministers’ proposals to promote voluntary sector interests were implemented in the previous financial year. It is an executive and administrative document, not a legislative one—that is, something factual and retrospective which the Assembly does not need to approve. The current Government of Wales Act 1998 requires the Assembly to make the voluntary sector scheme because the Assembly is currently a single, corporate body. With separation, the functions of making and reporting on the scheme properly become a function of the Welsh Ministers. The Assembly will be able to decide for itself how best to scrutinise the performance of the Welsh Ministers in terms of promoting the interests of the voluntary sector. It will be able to do so in a way consistent with its role as a legislative and scrutinising body, by holding the Welsh Ministers to account. I recognise the spirit in which this amendment was tabled, which was to signal the importance of the Assembly continuing to be involved in monitoring the interests of the voluntary sector. Given the response from other parties in the Assembly, I am sure that this will be the case, without the need for the change proposed by this amendment. Amendment No. 50 would put the voluntary sector partnership council on a statutory footing. By doing so, it would seek to preserve what the voluntary sector values about the current arrangements: namely, that they are cross-party and that the voluntary sector itself, through the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, determines the voluntary sector representation. It is understandable that the voluntary sector in Wales should not wish to lose what it has gained through the many years of good practice and experience under the current arrangements. I know that the Welsh Assembly Government have already given a public assurance if re-elected that they would continue with a voluntary sector partnership council. I can also state with some confidence, because discussions have taken place, that the other parties represented in the Assembly would also wish to have a voluntary sector partnership council to advise the Welsh Assembly Government, as part of the voluntary sector scheme. I hope that this provides the reassurance which the voluntary sector was seeking through this amendment. As to the amendment itself, I fear that what it proposes could prove to be unwieldy and would not best serve the interests of the voluntary sector itself post-separation. I hope that, in the light of these firm assurances, my noble friend will feel able to withdraw his amendment.