Welsh Labour is today celebrating an historic day for social services in Wales as a new law that will enable the Welsh Labour-led Assembly Government to remove the postcode lottery for non-residential social services in every part of Wales is given the Royal seal of approval.
 
Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas AM has confirmed that the Legislative Competence Order (LCO) in the area of charging for non-residential social care has received Royal approval by Her Majesty The Queen at a meeting of the Privy Council yesterday evening.
 
This is the second Welsh Labour-inspired Legislative Competence Order to have been given Royal approval, following the Queen’s approval of The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Education and Training) Order 2008 at a meeting of the Privy Council on April 9th 2008.
 
Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Social Services GWENDA THOMAS said:
 
“I’m absolutely delighted that this vital piece of legislation has been given the Royal seal of approval by Her Majesty The Queen.
 
“Now that we have the relevant powers, the Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government will now legislate to achieve a fairer and more consistent approach to charging for all adult recipients of non-residential social services across Wales.
 
Local authorities in Wales currently have a wide discretion as to how much to charge for home care and other non-residential social services and this has  resulted  in  significant  variations in charging policies for similar services across Wales.

Gwenda Thomas added: “As an Assembly Government, we are determined to use the powers we have and aim to have as a result of the further devolution of power in areas such as the second LCO I am taking through the Assembly on child poverty and vulnerable children, which we hope will be approved later this year. These powers will help make a real difference to the lives of the people of Wales.