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WRITTEN RESPONSES TO RICHARD COMMISSION CONSULTATION
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Letter received from D P D Davies, University of Wales
College of Medicine
dated 15 July 2003
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Ms Carys Evans
The Richards Commission
116 St Andrews Place
Cardiff |
| Dear Ms Evans, |
| I heard this morning that the Richards
Commission met last night in the City Hall. I am very
concerned how poorly this has been advertised. As a committed
devolutionist, I would have liked to attend the meeting.
However, I have seen no posters about it? (I work in a
very big hospital UHW? Nothing was on the notice board).
I am a regular listener to the radio including BBC Radio
Cymru, BBC Radio Wales and read the Western Mail an nothing
seems to have-been mentioned. Perhaps I have just
missed out! Indeed I am sure that you will say that posters
have been distributed, but there is a tremendous difference
between what is distributed and what actually happens
"at the coal face". For such an important meeting, I am
told that the turnout was awful. I think the Richards
Commission have to look very seriously and critically
at how it advertises itself. For such an important meeting
we should have had far more saturation with information.
It is almost as though there is a little club that does
not wish to extend the franchise beyond its rather cosy
internal network. At a time when in Wales, and indeed
everywhere, we are so keen on encouraging electoral participation,
this "in the corner" approach which is what your Commission
seems. to be adopting, can do nothing to help the issue
of voter apathy and the need for informing far more people
about the electoral process. But maybe you wish the public
to be kept in the dark. |
An important point I would have raised had I been aware
of the meeting last night, working in the area of health
rare and University medicine is the issue of Foundation
Hospitals. Many in Wales, I know, share my views that
Foundation Hospitals are not the way forward to improve
the standard of health care in Wales. We should be supporting
instead the initiatives of the Assembly to empower LH6's
as the main focus of change. But I fear, especially with
the support for Foundation Hospitals by so many Welsh
Labour MP's in Westminster who will be reluctant to support
Welsh initiatives, the gradual adoption by stealth of
Foundation Hospitals in Wales. If we did have primary
legislative authority, then at least this would help to
partly protect us from decisions taken in Westminster,
which are generally against the philosophy of the Welsh
Assembly Government. |
A similar issue relates to student fees. I have been in
academic clinical medical education for over 30 years
in Britain and overseas and currently I am Sub-Dean for
Admissions for entry into the University of Wales College
of Medicine in Cardiff. Major initiatives that we are
currently developing relate to extending the social base
of medical education in Wales, widening access initiatives.
It is a totally pointless exercise to invest large sums
of money in initiatives in Wales to widen access to higher
education on the one hand if the fear of the burdens of
debt rest on the shoulders of those who might benefit
from this. They will simply not participate. It is my
own personal view that higher education must be funded
from the public purse and, if needed, extra taxation must
be targeted for this purpose to those who can afford it.
But, once again, I fear that without primary legislative
authority in Wales, we will inevitably go down the way
that England that will be to the great detriment of our
higher education. |
These are two of many reasons why I strongly believe in
primary legislative powers linked eventually with potential
taxation powers by our Assembly. I also feel that if the
Assembly had more teeth to deal with these important issues,
then its credibility in the eyes of the public would be
elevated and the AM's themselves would accept greater
responsibility leading to a general standard of political
debate and endeavour that would be much higher than it
currently is. Unfortunately, it worries me that there
are not enough people in positions of political authority
in Wales who are prepared to "bite the bullet" and go
for greater powers. I include in this also our many members
of parliament who might, with the increasing dichotomy
of opinion in matters especially relating to health and
education between Westminster and Wales where the roles
of MP's and AM's conflict, not do much to assist the process.
Indeed I sometimes wonder whether MP's in Wales want a
stronger Assembly since this will be seen as weakening
their own authority. |
I would be grateful if these views can be represented
since they were issues that I would have wished to have
made had I been aware of the Richards Commission meeting
in Cardiff last night. |
I would be pleased if you could appropriately reflect
my concerns of the advertisement of the meeting. The Commission
should feel very concerned that for the principal city
of Wales that there was such a meagre turnout. This does
not reflect interest, it reflects far more the poverty
of distribution of information. |
I look forward to hearing from you. |
Yours sincerely, |
| D P Davies |
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