Reducing bureaucracy a high priority for Welsh Assembly

News that reducing the amount of bureaucracy was a high priority for the Welsh Assembly Government’s Permanent Secretary was welcomed by members of NFU Cymru’s Welsh Council yesterday as Dame Gill Morgan said that the government ’needs to work to reduce the number of consultations it sends out.’

Dame Gill Morgan, whilst addressing the members of NFU Cymru’s Council, said reducing bureaucracy was one of the three challenges she set herself after starting in the position last year. She added, "I think we need to be sparing when we use consultations as they run the risk of creating too much bureaucracy both, within the Welsh Assembly Government, and for those who respond. We must think about when consultations are really necessary."

As Permanent Secretary she is in charge of over 6,000 civil servants, working across various sites in Wales. She explained that she took a ’stock take’ of the civil service in Wales when she started and identified three challenges. The first was one of connectivity. She said, "Issues, such as developing rural communities, shouldn’t sit in separate boxes. If we’re looking at rural areas then it’s not just about rural affairs but about transport and health care and also about looking at the needs of the younger generation, the environment and lots more, so that there is an integrated approach.

"My second challenge is relationships. A mature relationship needs to exist between the Welsh Assembly Government and our key partners. It should be about working together whenever possible and not just about command and control."

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru President, agreed with Dame Gill’s third challenge, to cut the amount of bureaucracy. He said, "We recently heard how significant progress has been made in relation to the Welsh Assembly Government’s red tape review but we are all aware that there is still much to be done to ease the burden on us as farmers."

Tony Burgess, NFU Cymru Poultry Board Chairman, asked the Permanent Secretary if she could specifically target her three challenges towards the issue of planning applications. He said, "As farmers we rely heavily on planning to take forward our businesses and all the challenges you have highlighted need to be aimed towards the current planning regime."

The Permanent Secretary responded that, in June this year, the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing announced a review of the planning application process in Wales. She undertook to write to the NFU Cymru with further details.