WALES
CYMRU

RESPONSE TO: A call for information- Welsh Government draft budget proposals for 2012-13

Contact Details:

Lleu Williams
Political Liaison Officer
UCU
Unit 33, The Enterprise Centre 
Tondu
BRIDGEND
CF32 9BS

Tel: 01656 721951
E-mail: lwilliams@ucu.org.uk  

The University and College Union (UCU) represents more than 120,000 academics, lecturers, trainers, instructors, researchers, managers, administrators, computer staff, librarians and postgraduates in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education and training organisations across the UK.
UCU is the largest post-school union in the world: a force working for educators and education that employers and the government cannot ignore. 
It was formed on 1 June 2006 by the amalgamation of two strong partners - the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and NATFHE-the University & College Lecturers' Union - who shared a long history of defending and advancing educators' employment and professional interests.
UCU Wales believes that Wales must address the issues of equality in setting its budget priorities. Not just because they are required to do so by law but because the future growth of the Welsh economy and the health of the country depends on our ability to deal with social inequality and child poverty.
In a recent application for judicial review of the 2010 emergency UK budget by the Fawcett Society the presiding Judge ruled that the preparation and presentation of measures outlined in national budgets are subject to Equality law.  The Judge further recognised that there is a need for improved data collection and analysis in order to adequately assess the impact of budget measures on equality between women and men.

UCU Wales considers that the decisions made by the Minister for Finance and Leader of the House impact not only on the economy but on the structure of our society.  Each measure in the budget therefore has the potential to further the progress of equality.  UCU Wales notes that for the 2011-12 budget, the Welsh Government created a separate report on the impact of the budget on the equality groups, UCU Wales welcomes this approach.
UCU Wales considers that any budget produced by the Welsh Government should be analysed to determine whether there is a disproportionate impact on any of the equality groups.   UCU Wales would refer the Welsh Government to the indicators outlined by the economist Diane Elson (2002:4), which have been used in Denmark to study resource allocation.
In relation to the questions posed we would offer the following comments:
Looking at the indicative budget allocations for 2012-13 do you have any concerns from a strategic overarching perspective?
UCU Wales notes the manifesto pledge of Welsh Labour in relation to creating a young people’s jobs and training fund and extend apprenticeship opportunities for young people.  UCU Wales considers that investment in all areas of Education is necessary to ensure a vibrant and skilled work force and considers that education (including further and higher education) should be a priority in any proposed budget.

We support the broad aim of the manifesto pledge, but wish to highlight some issues which may undermine these good intentions, especially for women.

In doing so we would encourage the Welsh Government to consider the joint TUC and YMCA report on Apprenticeships and Gender when considering the issue of apprenticeships.  This report highlighted that whilst there has been an increase in the female participation in apprenticeships, this has resulted in further occupational segregation and an increase in the gender pay gap.  

UCU Wales considers that any fund to support apprenticeship opportunities should have regard to  the disproportionate impact that apprenticeship funding can have on women, whilst also considering the possibilities of part-time or flexible apprenticeships to allow women to undertake caring responsibilities and an apprenticeship.

UCU Wales would also urge the Welsh Government to consider the possible in-direct impacts that the young people’s jobs and training fund would have on young women. UCU Wales notes that the link between the cost of work and childcare creates a barrier for people in accessing training and work. A quarter of low income parents have dropped out of work due to the rising cost of childcare, whilst four out of ten people say their childcare costs are as much as their rent/mortgage payments. In addition, the ratio between lone mother and lone father families stands at 13:2 shows that more women will be affected than men as parents. UCU Wales has concerns that these barriers would prevent young women from accessing the jobs and training fund, even more so in Objective One funding areas where there are higher levels of pregnancy and child poverty.

UCU Wales would urge the Welsh Government to take into consideration any additional support such as childcare, to ensure that young women are able to take advantage of the proposed young people’s jobs and training fund. UCU Wales also believes this would significantly contribute to achieving the Welsh Government’s target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

What expectations do you have of the 2012-2013 draft budget proposals? What spending commitments and priorities would you like to see in 2012-13 draft budget proposals?
UCU Wales notes that in Australia part time apprenticeship opportunities were created specifically to address gender inequalities in the apprenticeship system and to enable more women with caring responsibilities to access apprenticeship training. It is essential that the issue of flexibility is addressed in the UK apprenticeship system and that greater pressure is placed on providers and employers to consider offering part time apprenticeships to allow people to fit them in with their caring commitments. This must be seriously considered if the government are going to be able to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

Further, UCU Wales considers that the Welsh Government could extend an apprenticeship fund to encompass all women regardless of age.  Such an approach would acknowledge the need of older women to retrain at different stages of their lives.  Women are more likely to have disrupted career trajectories and require re-training after periods of absence from the workplace.  This is particularly pertinent when it is considered that the number of women losing their jobs has risen in comparison to the figures for men.

The new Welsh Government has not yet published a programme of government.  However, the Welsh Government has emphasised an outcomes based approach with the First Minister declaring that “delivery will be the watchword of the Welsh Labour government”.  What-if any- outcomes do you believe that should be trying to achieve with the 2012-13 draft budget?
UCU Wales considers that the Welsh Government should analyse any proposed outcomes to determine whether there is a disproportionate impact on any of the equality groups.  UCU Wales believes that it is necessary to consider whether the outputs are fairly distributed between the equality groups and how they equate to equality, as well as the objectives themselves. To ensure that this is achieved, UCU Wales calls on the Welsh Government to equality impact assess every future draft budget.