• The reserved powers model provides a clear boundary between reserved and devolved matters
• Welsh devolution will be strengthened through further powers for the Assembly and Welsh Ministers
• The new model will come into force on 1 April 2018

On 1 April 2018, a new reserved powers model of devolution in Wales will come into force, putting more decisions into the hands of Welsh Ministers, giving them important new levers to grow the Welsh economy and to deliver better public services across Wales.

The new model places Welsh devolution on a firmer foundation, making clear what is devolved, and the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales, and what is reserved – and the responsibility of Parliament.

The regulations also bring into force many of the further powers being devolved to the Assembly and Welsh Ministers under the Wales Act 2017, including powers over elections, transport and the environment. Most of these powers will also come into force on 1 April 2018.

The announcement comes a week after the Chancellor’s budget where he set out plans to increase the Welsh Government’s budget by £1.2 billion and build an economy that is fit for the future.

The new reserved model will take effect at the same time as the new devolved Welsh taxes, and before the Assembly and Welsh Ministers take responsibility for a portion of income tax.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The reserved powers model marks a significant step forward in Welsh devolution and implements the clearer devolution settlement provided in the Wales Act.

The additional powers for the Assembly and Welsh Ministers will strengthen Welsh devolution and set it on a clear course for the future.

The Welsh Government now needs to be innovative with the opportunities these new powers provide and deliver the improvements in devolved services that the people of Wales deserve.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Some parts of the Wales Act 2017 are already in force, including provisions that:

• reaffirm the government’s commitment to the permanence of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government;
• remove the requirement for a referendum before the devolution of income tax to Wales; and
• double (to £1 billion) the amount Welsh Ministers can borrow to fund capital expenditure.

Earlier this month, the UK Government and Welsh Government introduced a water protocol for England and Wales which will safeguard water resources, water supply and water quality for consumers on both sides of the border

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has today (30 November 2017) set out details of a new Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel that will help develop a national strategy as part of the government’s commitment to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027.

This new Advisory Panel made up of homelessness experts, charities and local government, will support the Ministerial Taskforce, which brings together ministers from key departments to provide a cross-government approach to preventing rough sleeping and homelessness.

Members of the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel include:

• Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, a leading charity focussed on rough sleeping and single homelessness
• Polly Neate, chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, who brings her expertise on domestic abuse as a driver of homelessness
• Jean Templeton, chief executive St Basil’s, a West Midlands based charity that helps 16 to 25 year olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Mark Lloyd from the Local Government Association
• Mayors for Manchester Andy Burnham and for the West Midlands Andy Street
• Peter Fredriksson, a homelessness advisor to the Finnish government, which has successfully piloted the Housing First approach

This latest action builds on the work government is already doing including:

• spending over £1 billion until 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping
• implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act which will make sure more people get the help they need to prevent them from becoming homelessness in the first place
• £28 million of funding to pilot the Housing First approach for entrenched rough sleepers in the West Midlands Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, and the Liverpool City Region
• investing £9 billion by March 2021 to build new affordable homes
• a £20 million scheme to support homeless people and those of risk of homelessness secure homes in the private rented sector

The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Implementation Taskforce will be chaired by the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:

No one should ever have to sleep rough. That’s why this government is committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.

To break the homelessness cycle once and for all, we all need to work together, drawing on as much expertise and experience as we can. The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Implementation Taskforce and the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel, together with the 3 Housing First pilots, are important steps in making that happen.

The Advisory Panel supporting the Taskforce will be chaired by the Homelessness Minister Marcus Jones.

Homelessness Minister Marcus Jones said:

The Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel brings together experts with both the knowledge and determination to reduce homelessness and end rough sleeping.

Working together with the charities and local authorities who have already achieved so much, we can fulfil our joint ambition to make sure we help some of the most vulnerable in society.

The government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping, and making sure that individuals and families are provided with the support they need as early as possible. It is already spending over £1 billion until 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Sajid Javid meets Rick Henderson, chief executive, Homeless Link

Housing First

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid will take forward the implementation of the 3 Housing First pilots for which the Budget confirmed the £28 million funding. The minister first saw the Housing First scheme on a fact finding trip to Finland.

The pilots in Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region and the West Midlands Combined Authority will support the most entrenched rough sleepers get off the streets and help them to end their homelessness. Individuals will be provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support. This will help them to recover from complex health issues, for example substance abuse and mental health difficulties and sustain their tenancies.

Also announced in the Budget is a new £20 million fund to support homeless people and those at risk of homelessness secure homes in the private rented sector.

Access to the private rented sector plays a part in both preventing and supporting the recovery from homelessness, helping people rebuild their lives. This fund could support bids for social lettings agencies, guaranteed deposit schemes or tenancy sustainment schemes. The department is keen to encourage bespoke, innovative solutions that reflect local need.

Further information

Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel members

Chairman

• Marcus Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government / Homelessness Minister.

Charity sector

• Jon Sparkes, CEO of Crisis
• Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter
• Jeremy Swain, CEO of Thames Reach
• Howard Sinclair, CEO of St Mungo’s
• Jean Templeton, chief executive of St Basils
• Rick Henderson, chief executive, Homeless Link

Local government and mayors

• Andy Street, Mayor for West Midlands
• Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester
• James Murray, London Deputy Mayor for London Housing and Residential Development
• Mark Lloyd, chief executive, Local Government Association

Housing sector

• David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation which is a trade association for member social housing providers in England. International expert
• Peter Fredriksson, former advisor to the Finnish government on Homelessness and Housing First

Invitations may also be issued to other individuals to ensure the advisory panel can offer the most relevant advice across a wide range of issues.

Government action to date on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping

• Spending over £1 billion until 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, part of which is our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme to deliver an ‘end-to-end’ approach to homelessness and rough sleeping prevention.

• Implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act. The Act will significantly reform England’s homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need to prevent them from becoming homelessness in the first place. The Act also ensures that other local services refer those either homeless or at risk of being homeless to local authority housing teams.

• Investing £9 billion by March 2021 to build new affordable homes. This government is committed to fixing the broken housing market and our Housing White Paper sets out measures to do just that.

• £28 million funding to pilot the Housing First approach for entrenched rough sleepers in the West Midlands Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, and the Liverpool City Region.

New research into the causes of homelessness and rough sleeping

• The Department for Communities and Local Government will be commissioning a feasibility study which will explore whether it is possible to carry out robust and useful research on a complex issue such as the causes of homelessness.

• Ministers have already confirmed plans to overhaul homelessness data to make sure we have a better picture of the homelessness challenge. As part of the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act, which requires councils to provide support much earlier to people at risk of becoming homeless, local authorities will collect a wider range of individual level data. This change from April 2018 will generate much richer data, helping both local and central government take the right action needed.

From 2 April 2018 new rules for all farmers in England will be introduced to help protect water quality, by standardising good farm practices that many are already performing and offering a new approach to regulation.

In essence the rules require farmers to:

• keep soil on the land;
• match nutrients to crop, and soil needs, and
• keep livestock fertilisers and manures out of the water.

The Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

These new rules are a win-win for farmers and the environment. They will help improve water quality, set a level playing field for all farmers, help businesses save money from better resource efficiency and improve their resilience.

Our ambition is to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and these new rules will help us deliver our plans for a Green Brexit along with a better future for farming business.

Farmers and land managers will be able to determine what approach is best for their land, through methods such as deciding when it is safe to spread fertilisers.

The farming rules for water were drawn up with farming and environment stakeholders to recognise and build on the good progress that a great many farmers have made in trying to tackle pollution.

There are eight rules, five about managing fertilisers and manures and three on managing soils.

The fertiliser rules require farmers to test their soils, then plan and apply their fertiliser or manure to improve soil nutrient levels and meet crop needs. They include minimum storage and spreading distances from water bodies. They also require the farmer to assess weather and soil conditions to reduce the risk of runoff and soil erosion.

The remaining rules require farmers to manage livestock by protecting land within five metres of water and reducing livestock poaching.

In addition to these rules, farmers are encouraged to incorporate organic fertilisers into the soil within 12 hours of spreading to significantly reduce ammonia pollution.

Farming rules for water are part of a whole package of measures to help farmers and land managers look after the environment. The government is also investing £400 million through Countryside Stewardship which supports farmers in creating or restoring precious habitats and a £12 million farm ammonia reduction grant has incentivised farmers to tackle agricultural emissions.

The new rules will not only benefit farming businesses: clean water helps tourism, fishing and shellfish businesses to thrive, reduces the cost of treatment and protects biodiversity.

The Environment Agency will roll out the rules through an advice led approach, working with farmers to meet the requirements before enforcement action is taken.

Updated: Navigation consultation response document published.