efficiency Wales programme for households Work with energy retailers to develop crisis funds for emergency heating Ten year programme of investment in Wales' housing stock Require new build properties to meet the highest standards of energy efficiency which have almost no heating costs A 50% reduction in energy used for heating and electricity by 2030 Ensure that microgeneration projects are considered with a presumption in favour of development Strengthen building regulations to meet EU obligations on ‘New Zero Energy’ buildings Constitutional Affairs and Devolution Conservatives Greens Labour Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru UKIP Cut ministerial pay by 10% Cut the Welsh Government’s annual running costs by 20% Move an entire Welsh Government Oppose Westminster Lobbying Act Further devolution At 80 AMs – half of which to represent regions Vote from 16 Devolve Air Passenger Duty Devolve (or push UK Government to) scrap the Severn Tolls 80-90 AMs Further devolution including powers in policing, Section 36 planning consents, S4C, justice Full enactment of the Silk Commission recommendations for Wales Seek to replace the Barnett formula with a needs-based formula Involve Welsh Westminster MPs in pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation Invite all Welsh councils to appoint one or two councillors to a panel to assist Assembly Committees
department to North Wales Lengthen Assembly plenary sessions and explore the viability of a Thursday sitting System of recall for AMs via a Recall Referendum Modernise the voting system Vote from 16 A Federal UK New cross-party talks on further devolution Utilise STV at all levels of government in Wales Vote from 16 A Confederal UK Oppose an increase in the number of AMs No further devolution from Westminster to Wales STV – Single Transferable Vote Local Government Conservatives Greens Labour Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru UKIP Allow local authority mergers only via a referendum Ensure that communities have a veto on excessive Council Tax Reform local government elections Further devolve powers to local government where appropriate to bring decision-making closer to people Continue with to merge Local Authorities to decrease the number of LAs to 8 or 9 Devolve more powers to LAs Commission the Government and Boundary Commission to draw up proposals for the restructuring of local councils in Wales based on natural communities Legislate to create up to six regional combined authorities comprised of existing local councils New system of Area councils as a new Devolve important decision-making powers from Cardiff Bay to local authorities Introduce a committee system to bring
Implement a system of public recall for poorly performing councillors Give town and community councils greater participation in the planning process, devolving more planning responsibilities to local communities Introduce a new Local Government Bill which devolves more powers to councils Update the local government funding formula and seek to protect smaller councils from inappropriate variations in funding relative to others Introduce STV system for all local elections foundation for Welsh local government with additional powers in service delivery, planning and development control and town centre regeneration Produce proposals for a new system for allocating central government grant to local government based on joint resource planning and a new needs-based formula involving a range of factors including poverty and rurality openness, transparency and cross-party work Ensure that any mergers of local councils are the result of bottom-up decisions involving local people Introduce STV STV – Single Transferable Vote Taxes
Conservatives Greens Labour Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru UKIP Cut Income Tax for taxpayers Enable a Wales-wide Council Tax freeze for the duration of the Assembly term Abolish Stamp Duty for first-time buyers on all properties valued up to £250,000 Call for devolution of Air Passenger Duty Build partnerships between our universities and businesses to develop innovation, especially for smaller businesses, with tax breaks and subsidies for research and development activities Spend Wales’ share of the ‘sugar tax’ being applied across the UK on public health measures No increases in income tax Establish an independent "Office of Budget Responsibility" to provide a rolling independent and authoritative analysis of Wales' public finances Reduce income tax for lowest earners Council Tax break of at least £100 a year for 10 years when a resident's home undergoes an improvement of at least two Energy Performance bands Propose replacement council tax with domestic property tax Introduce a new middle rate of income tax which will be lower than the current UK higher rate of 40% No income tax increases Raise the threshold at which stamp duty is levied from £125,000 to £145,000 Lower Council Tax Oppose new policy to devolve income tax powers without a referendum – revive referendum plans The Language Conservatives Greens Labour Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru UKIP
Launch a “Tipyn Bach” project to encourage traders and consumers to use Welsh and accredit businesses which develop the Welsh language skills of staff Promote the benefits of a multilingual workforce Develop a network of Welsh Language Business Champions Increase the Language Commissioner’s accountability by making this an appointment of the National Assembly for Wales Ensure that there is free provision for learning Welsh at all levels, from beginner to expert, and prioritise this for the workforce to ensure that public services can be delivered bilingually Encourage the provision of bilingual activities within communities Encourage more teaching through the medium of from the age of three Amend the Welsh Language Measure so that business and others can invest more in encouraging the use of the Welsh language Establish a Language Usage Fund and invite business to invest in the future of the language Publicise the services that members of the public might reasonably expect to receive in Welsh Support affordable housing in rural areas Review TAN 20 Make language impact assessments of proposed developments a statutory requirement before planning permission is granted Ensure that language can be a material consideration determining planning applications Financial support to release employees to learn Welsh and improve their language skills Expand the use of Welsh as the language of administration within local government and the wider public sector Push for improved status of the language Strengthen the standards expected from the public sector and large private sector organisations in dealing with the public Ensure that Welsh public services are accessible to people through the medium of Welsh Advocate access to paperwork in the language of your choice Ensure funding for new affordable homes in Wales as a way of strengthening communities and thereby the future of the Welsh language