Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee

CLA(4)-01-14:  Paper 1

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS WITH CLEAR REPORTS

CLA337 - The Coleg Ceredigion Further Education Corporation (Dissolution) and Coleg Ceredigion (Designated Institution in Further Education) Order 2013

Procedure:  Negative

This order dissolves, with effect from 31 December 2013, the further education corporation established to conduct Coleg Ceredigion and designates Coleg Ceredigion as a new college conducted by a designated institution to be known as Coleg Ceredigion. 

The order also transfers all the property, rights and liabilities of the former corporation to the new college.  Staff employed by the former corporation at the time of dissolution are transferred to the new institution.

CLA338 - The Non-Domestic Rating Contributions (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

Procedure:  Negative

These Regulations amend the Non-Domestic Rating Contributions (Wales) Regulations 1992 (“the 1992 Regulations”).  The 1992 regulations prescribe the rules for calculating non-domestic rating contributions paid by local authorities into the national non-domestic rating pool from which they are redistributed to local authorities on the basis of estimates submitted based on adult population figures.

These regulations amend the 1992 Regulations by substituting new adult population figures for each local authority for the financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2014.

CLA339 - The Food (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2013

Procedure:  Negative

These Regulations amend Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006, the Official Feed and Food Controls (Wales) Regulations 2009. The amendments extend certain transitional measures under EU law in relation to food hygiene and official control for products of animal origin and certain derogations related to accreditation conditions for laboratories which carry out testing for Trichinella on samples taken as part of official controls. 

The Regulations also make a minor amendments to the Food Safety Act 1990 and  Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (Wales) Regulations 2013 to correct an erroneous reference to a paragraph number and an out-dated reference to a professional body respectively.

CLA340 - The Welsh in Education Strategic Plans and Assessing Demand for Welsh Medium Education (Wales) Regulations 2013

Procedure:  Negative

Section 84 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 (“the 2013 Act”) requires a local authority to prepare a Welsh in education strategic plan (“Plan”).  Section 85 of the 2013 Act requires a local authority to submit its draft Plan to the Welsh Ministers for approval prior to that Plan being published.  Section 86 of the 2013 Act further provides that the Welsh Ministers may require a local authority to carry out an assessment of the demand among parents in its area for Welsh medium education for their children.

CLA349 – The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2014

Procedure:  Affirmative

This Order is made under paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 7 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (“the Act”).

In relation to Wales, the non-domestic rating multiplier is calculated in each financial year in which new lists are not being compiled. 2014 is such a year. The calculation is made by reference to a formula set out in paragraph 3B of Schedule 7 to the Act. The formula includes an item “B” which is the retail prices index for, in this instance, September 2013.

However, paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 7 to the Act enables the Welsh Ministers, by order, to specify an alternative amount for B, provided that amount is less than the relevant retail prices index.  This Order specifies that, for the financial year beginning on 1 April 2014, B will be “249”.