A new commission is commissioned
The Eskimos are reputed to have several words for "snow". In Welsh poltics, we have almost as many for "committee".
Task and finish group, convention, task force, action group - take your pick, although commission appears to be the buzzword of the moment.
The Richard commission looked at the Welsh assembly's powers, the Holtham commission its funding. A Calman-style commission will look at the way it is financed. A West Lothian commission will review the impact of devolution on parliament.
These commissions should not be confused with the Wales Office's , which Secretary of State Cheryl Gillan has recently upgraded to the status of, you've guessed it, "commission".
It is also to produce a report, which may surprise those who thought this ministerialof thanks published nearly six months ago marked its climax.
Last October, as now, the price of fuel was a major issue. It was even suggested that vehicle excise duty for 4 x 4 vehicles be cut according to postcode. (We're talking rural Wales here, not Kensington & Chelsea).
The project led the Wales Office Minister David Jones to write to the chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, to suggest that motorists in rural areas of Wales receive a 5p a litre discount in the price of fuel duty.
This morning, Mr Alexander turned up at the Welsh Grand Committee to give his response. He has written to the European Commission (another one) to ask for permission to set up a pilot scheme for "remote island communities."
These happen to be remote island communities in England and Scotland. Petrol and diesel may cost more in rural Wales, but the UK government says that it can cost between 10p and 25p a litre extra to get fuel to remote island communities.
Mr Alexander said that to obtain a derogation on duty permission would be needed not only from the commission but also from 27 EU member states.
That required "the most robust evidence possible" on the impact of fuel prices and it doesn't appear that evidence includes the work of the rural economy project, sorry commission.
Hello. I'm David Cornock and I'm parliamentary correspondent for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales. This is the blog for the latest news and gossip from the Westminster village - with a Welsh accent.
Comment number 1.
At 31st Mar 2011, Hendre wrote:Why is the Wales Office doing policy work? Isn't this something that should be done via the Welsh Select Committee?
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Comment number 2.
At 31st Mar 2011, Bill wrote:As Danny Alexander is probably the power behind the throne of George Osborne @ No.11 Downing Street and, no doubt he is responsible for 20% VATax on top of existing over-priced fuel duty.
Can we safely assume that Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander are closet Conservatives and outed as increasing VAT that always affect the poorest and is the most inflationary tax?
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Comment number 3.
At 2nd Apr 2011, tredwyn wrote:Talking of Commissions, the one on Welsh financing last year took all the formulae used in England to ascertain how much of public expenditure on health, local government services and education would go to different parts of the country. It then applied those formulae to Wales. And it found that if Wales were treated as part of England not given a block grant via the Barnett formula it would get £300-£400 million a year more than it does. So despite all the whinging by posters to the last Cornock blog, Wales is not overfunded. It has higher spending per head than England on average but less than English districts with similar demographics, poverty and rurality. Wales also takes in lots of Englsh students and lots of English retirees who require public services.
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Comment number 4.
At 14th Apr 2011, RW49 wrote:And guess what's in the Labour 5th May manifesto? Yes, it's another commission!
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