Project Welsh councils’ perceptions of austerity Drawing on interviews with Welsh council leaders, chief executives, finance directors, and external stakeholders, this study explores Welsh councils’ responses to austerity. We find that councils have responded to austerity in three main ways: by making efficiency savings; by reducing the need for council services; and by changing the role played by councils and other […] Read more Topics: Economy Local government April 10, 2019
Project Implications of UK migration policy on the Welsh economy after Brexit Building on our previous work looking into immigration policy after Brexit, this project focuses on the likely impact of UK Government migration policies on the Welsh economy. Specifically, we’re working with Professor Jonathan Portes from Kings College London to model the impacts of the recommendations from the 2018 Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report and subsequent […] Read more Topics: Economy Local government April 10, 2019
Report Sustainable Public Procurement This paper has been produced at an important juncture in discussion of public procurement in Wales. Procurement services have been criticised by both the Wales Audit Office and the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, and following a year of consultation, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance announced the cessation of the National Procurement Service in […] Read more Topics: Local government March 13, 2019
Blog Post Community Wellbeing How do we Tackle Loneliness? Evidence on Deprivation and Different Communities This is the third in a three-part blog series on loneliness and isolation in Wales. Part one is here, and part two is here. Here, Suzanna Nesom discusses how loneliness might be tackled for materially deprived people and in different communities, given the available evidence. This series of blogs has been exploring what is known […] Read more Topics: Local government Loneliness March 7, 2019
Blog Post Research and Impact Managing diverse relationships in cross-cutting government This ‘think piece’ builds on my recent presentation to a seminar for senior officials hosted by the Wales Centre for Public Policy which looked at the thorny issue of cross-government working. It isn’t an academic review, and I have deliberately not burdened it with lots of academic references. Instead I’m drawing on practical, interesting and […] Read more Topics: Diversity and inclusion Local government Research and Impact: Methods March 5, 2019
News Tackling Inequalities New report sets out paths from debt as large council tax rises loom Early intervention is key to stop Welsh households falling behind on their council tax or social housing rent payments, according to a new report from the Wales Centre for Public Policy. As councils across Wales are seeking large increases in their council tax rates for the coming year, the report highlights the importance of building […] Read more Topics: Local government Poverty and social exclusion February 28, 2019
News Community Wellbeing Adroddiad newydd yn nodi llwybrau rhag dyled wrth i drethi cyngor godi Read more Topics: Local government Poverty and social exclusion February 28, 2019
Blog Post Community Wellbeing How do we tackle loneliness? Evidence on supporting younger and older people This is the second in a three-part blog series on loneliness and isolation in Wales. The first article can be read here, and the third here. Here, we discuss possible ways to tackle loneliness in younger and older people, given the available evidence. With the Welsh Government planning to launch its Loneliness Strategy by the […] Read more Topics: Local government Loneliness February 19, 2019
Blog Post Environment and Net Zero Is the future of the economy threatening local taxation? This is the second of our guest blogs expanding on some of the wider tax policy questions that couldn’t all be fully explored within the parameters of our Welsh tax base research last year. Here, Hugo Bessis of the Centre for Cities considers the impact of the rise of automation and high street retail closures […] Read more Topics: Economy Local government February 14, 2019
Blog Post Community Wellbeing Growing the Welsh tax base through business rates: risks, rewards and trade-offs It has been six months since we published our report examining the risks and opportunities of fiscal devolution to the Welsh tax base. Our discussions with tax policy colleagues in the Welsh Government and experts and academics from across the UK threw up plenty of issues which couldn’t all be fully explored within the parameters […] Read more Topics: Economy Local government February 7, 2019
