Forestry Commission Trade Unions - www.fctu.org.uk

FCTU Wales

The FCTU Wales Committee is one of the FCTU's six area teams and is responsible for leading on the FCTU's work in Wales.

SEB cont. - FCTU Meet to Discuss Plan of Action 8th December 2011

The Departmental Committee and Area Committee Chairs met on 6 December to discuss an initial plan of action following the Welsh Government's announcement. The discussion is summarised here.

Single Environment Body - Briefing from Antony Griffiths, FCTU Wales 1st December 2011

Following a Programme Board Meeting back on the 18th November the Business Case was then sent to the Minister for his consideration. Yesterday the Minister took his decision to the Welsh Government Cabinet.

You will now be aware that the Minister, John Griffiths, has made his decision that the Welsh Government will proceed with establishing a SEB in Wales and that FCW is to be included within it.

The FCTU has not been sent a copy of the final Business Case, as submitted to the Minister, despite asking for it through the SEB Partnership Forum group on which I represent the constituent union members of FCW - the Programme Team stated to the Forum group that they were not expecting a response on the Business Case from the TUS. However, the FCTU Wales did submit a response direct to the Minister on Version 2.5. No reply to that response has yet been received.

The view of the FCTU Wales, and that of other parties who have seen versions of the Business Case, feel that overall the ‘case’ is week and which also raises a number of important un-answered questions – particularly those of potential costs that are not fully taken into account in the Business Case, such as;

• Pensions
• IT
• VAT status
• Costs for services from the parent bodies which continue to be required by the SEB
• Impact on central costs for FC GB
• Recoverable incurred cross-border costs to FCE and FCS as a result of WG removing FCW from FCGB
• Un-picking the Forestry Act
• Costs associated with status change of FCW ‘crown exempt’ vehicle fleet and corporate livery

In financial terms the ‘case’ is only marginally improved with the inclusion of FCW (£1m after 5 years and £11m after 10 years) and thus the FCTU believe that the benefits of the SEB with the inclusion of FCW is by far outweighed by the risks associated with its inclusion.

There will be further correspondence with you over the coming days to ask you for your views and to inform you of the work that the FCTU will be doing during the consultation period.

Antony D Ll Griffiths
FCTU Wales Committee Chair

Single Environment Body Announcement UPDATED 1st December 2011

Staff will have seen the letter from the Director General on the Welsh Government's decision to set up the Single Environment Body (SEB) which will include Forestry Commission Wales. This will herald a huge change in how public forests are managed in Wales and across Great Britain. Click here to see a briefing from Allan MacKenzie, FCTU Secretary on this announcement.

Environment Delivery Options (EDO) for Wales 21st June 2011

In July 2010, a written statement to Assembly members identified the need to examine whether the existing arrangements for delivering the Assembly Governments environmental policies would be appropriate to deliver the needs of its new Natural Environmental Framework (NEF).  A conclusion still has to be reached as to how the various environmental bodies in Wales could best work together to deliver the outcomes from this framework. 

The statement noted that work was currently underway between the Environment Agency in Wales (EAW), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the Forestry Commission Wales (FCW) to share support and operational services.  The Assembly Government wanted the work to go further and to look at a more fundamental re-structuring of the delivery and function arrangements in order to provide the best value for delivering an integrated eco-system approach to the natural environment. 

The broad timings are: -
a.        for a ministerial decision to be sought by autumn of 2011 and,
b.        if the decision is given to proceed for a new body to be in place by 2013, with a shadow body running 6 months before hand.

Allan MacKenzie, FCTU Secretary has written to the full time officers of the constituent unions, outlining this issue; where it has come from and what the implications are if it is to go ahead, seeking a clear policy statement from each union and a mandate from its members on the best course of action in taking forward this issue.  We feel members need to know exactly what is intended and what the effects are likely to be on them and their future, and with their views the unions can then move forward in joint discussions.

Robert Beaney, FCTU Chair and Allan MacKenzie will be meeting with the Minister, John Griffiths on 28 July for to discuss the EDO and issues in full.

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