For the third week in a row since the Naz Malik and AWEMA scandal broke, questions from the Opposition were raised about the Welsh Government’s response to them and the tardiness of the investigation into the wide ranging allegations in the Senedd yesterday.
Since the exchanges last week between Peter Black, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Jane Hutt and Cawryn Jones, the Big Lottery Fund has suspended further payments to AWEMA until the investigation is complete, which begs the questions why the Welsh European Funding Office and Welsh Government are still paying money to AWEMA and why Naz Malik remains in post and hasn’t been suspended until the investigations have concluded.
Peter Black raised a number of additional points yesterday that make you wonder what's actually happening, for example he stated no interviews with staff appear to have taken place and there are concerns over the security of documentation. It makes you suspicious that nothing will result from this especially as Dragon’s Eye had an investigation into similar financial problems back in 2003 and Naz Malik remains in post – is this what's making Labour drag its heels and hoping this will go away?
The Full exchanges from Assembly Business Questions are below
Peter Black: Minister, I press you once again for a statement on the situation regarding the investigation into the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association. I have had communication with some AWEMA partners and they are worried about the length of time that this investigation is taking; that is having an impact on partner organisations in relation to the European projects in which they are engaged with AWEMA. Also, some of the staff who signed the original letter regarding this organisation have not been interviewed by anyone, and concerns have been expressed to me about the security of documentation relating to this investigation and whether or not that was made secure before officials went in to investigate. Will you give me some assurances that this investigation is moving ahead at full speed, that those members, and former members of staff, who have an interest and knowledge of this organisation will be interviewed as soon as possible, that all actions have been taken to secure documentation relating to this investigation, and that the partners of AWEMA, in terms of European funding, are being assured as to the future of those projects?
Jane Hutt: I can assure Peter Black that we recognise the importance of this investigation, which I am monitoring very closely, ensuring that it is rigorous and that it includes the Welsh European Funding Office and the Big Lottery Fund. I will certainly be reporting back directly to those who have an interest, in terms of constituency and wider policy matters, and to the whole Assembly on the outcome of this investigation.
The full transcript of yesterday's session in the Senedd Chamber is HERE
Finally media coverage remains patchy but BBC Wales reported on the story last week and the Swansea Evening Post had an article on the weekend.
UPDATE
If you didn’t see Dragon’s Eye last night it’s on the iplayer until next Thursday (2nd Feb), but what does it say about our political system that it takes a media investigation rather than the calls from the Opposition before the Welsh Government acts over such serious allegations and although the suspension of funds is welcome, reading between the lines from last night’s programme Naz Malik expects to be cleared if he’s expecting to be talking to the press after the investigation is completed – so it looks like all the effort has been in vain yet again.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Micro Business report - will it make any difference?
With the drama following Peacocks going into administration and the latest unemployment figures, Business Minister Edwina’s Hart’s report launch last Wednesday (18th Jan) on Micro Businesses, from one of the Task and Finish Groups focusing on certain sectors of the economy in the much heralded ‘new’ approach to the economy went largely unreported.
As the report states with Microbusinesses, defined as employing less than 9 people make up 94.5% of all business in Wales and with the European Commission report showing 85% of new job growth across the continent from 2002 – 2010 came from SME’s which doesn’t take a genius to work out this should be the main priority for Business Minister Edwina Hart and her department, if not the whole government.
So does it address the issues Welsh micro business face, well the report identifies five priority areas of support, these are
Awareness and access of business support services for Micro Business
Access to finance
Mentoring and coaching
Public Sector Procurement
Regulatory burden
However all of these at one stage or another have been suggested by economic and financial experts and written in Welsh Government and Committee reports for the last 12 years, but no concrete action has been taken by any Welsh Minister of any stripe.
Are we really supposed to believe that a Business Minister who is on record as saying she regrets capitalism will be the one who actually implements these proposals such as cutting red tape, making public sector contracts more accessible to smaller firms and improving access to finance which could support substantial job growth and create a larger private sector - I doubt it, which is a shame for the many struggling entrepreneurs and business people up and down Wales who need support after all they are responsible for 33.2% of private sector employment in Wales or 331,400 jobs.
The full report is HERE
As the report states with Microbusinesses, defined as employing less than 9 people make up 94.5% of all business in Wales and with the European Commission report showing 85% of new job growth across the continent from 2002 – 2010 came from SME’s which doesn’t take a genius to work out this should be the main priority for Business Minister Edwina Hart and her department, if not the whole government.
So does it address the issues Welsh micro business face, well the report identifies five priority areas of support, these are
Awareness and access of business support services for Micro Business
Access to finance
Mentoring and coaching
Public Sector Procurement
Regulatory burden
However all of these at one stage or another have been suggested by economic and financial experts and written in Welsh Government and Committee reports for the last 12 years, but no concrete action has been taken by any Welsh Minister of any stripe.
Are we really supposed to believe that a Business Minister who is on record as saying she regrets capitalism will be the one who actually implements these proposals such as cutting red tape, making public sector contracts more accessible to smaller firms and improving access to finance which could support substantial job growth and create a larger private sector - I doubt it, which is a shame for the many struggling entrepreneurs and business people up and down Wales who need support after all they are responsible for 33.2% of private sector employment in Wales or 331,400 jobs.
The full report is HERE
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Peacocks and the Welsh press
The demise of Peacocks and the 249 staff made redundant was a sorry site last week coming just a day after official unemployment figures showed a small decrease in those unemployed in Wales, but this post isn’t going over the wreckage and playing the blame game, it one that fits into bug bear I have and have blogged about many times, the lack of a decent Welsh press or in this case a Welsh business press.
Because it wasn’t just Peacock whose woes were exposed too late in the day for anyone in Government or the company to actually do something constructive last week, how many people know that the Swansea to Cork Ferry service is in trouble and will cease sailing in over a week if a solution can’t be found to its financial woes and given the current climate and Bank intransigence I bet they aren’t alone sadly.
A good Business Editor or journalist could easily have seen the warning signs and flagged up issues a few months ago at Peacocks and the Ferry company, instead of what we had in Peacocks case, the main stream media highlighting the story less than a few days before the company filed for administration. The Swansea to Cork ferry story only seems to have made the South Wales Evening Post on Friday the 13th February.
The companies in question might not have liked it, but it would have given them and the UK and Welsh Government’s more time to try and solve some of the issues they face and put more pressure on the Banks and kept workers in jobs at a time when jobs in Wales are proving to be as rare as Hen’s teeth.
A decent Business media would also have consistently exposed the fraud and corruption of the likes of Naz Malik at organisations like AWEMA and pushed harder for answers over how European money has been spent.
If Wales is to have a healthier relationship with the private sector and become a better place to invest and grow business and explain the Welsh and UK Government’s role in the economy to voters then a robust business press needs support, here’s hoping someone takes up the challenge.
Because it wasn’t just Peacock whose woes were exposed too late in the day for anyone in Government or the company to actually do something constructive last week, how many people know that the Swansea to Cork Ferry service is in trouble and will cease sailing in over a week if a solution can’t be found to its financial woes and given the current climate and Bank intransigence I bet they aren’t alone sadly.
A good Business Editor or journalist could easily have seen the warning signs and flagged up issues a few months ago at Peacocks and the Ferry company, instead of what we had in Peacocks case, the main stream media highlighting the story less than a few days before the company filed for administration. The Swansea to Cork ferry story only seems to have made the South Wales Evening Post on Friday the 13th February.
The companies in question might not have liked it, but it would have given them and the UK and Welsh Government’s more time to try and solve some of the issues they face and put more pressure on the Banks and kept workers in jobs at a time when jobs in Wales are proving to be as rare as Hen’s teeth.
A decent Business media would also have consistently exposed the fraud and corruption of the likes of Naz Malik at organisations like AWEMA and pushed harder for answers over how European money has been spent.
If Wales is to have a healthier relationship with the private sector and become a better place to invest and grow business and explain the Welsh and UK Government’s role in the economy to voters then a robust business press needs support, here’s hoping someone takes up the challenge.
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