Concordat Between the Cabinet Office and the Cabinet of the National
Assembly for Wales
Part 3 – Other Cabinet Office Issues
Best Practice in Public Service
24. The Cabinet Office has a central role in researching and establishing
best practice in the conduct of government business and the delivery of
public services. It also provides guidance for UK departments (and the
NDPBs which they
sponsor) on the discharge of many of their individual responsibilities.
Both parties recognise the advantages which accrue from mutual exchange of
best practice in areas of common interest. To this end, the Cabinet Office
will continue to make its research and guidance available to the National
Assembly for Wales on request. The National Assembly for Wales will
contribute to the cost of any external research in which it has expressed
an interest on terms which it shall agree with the Cabinet Office (and, if
necessary, the research team) on a case-by-case basis.
Regulatory Impact
25. Under the Government of Wales Act
1998 [External website], Assembly legislative
procedures include an appraisal of the likely costs and benefits of
complying with the proposed legislation, unless it is inappropriate or not
reasonably practicable to do so, and provide for the publication of
appraisals in certain circumstances. Both parties agree that it is
desirable to maintain consistent standards of regulatory impact assessment
in relation to legislation enacted by the UK Parliament and the National
Assembly for Wales. To this end, the Cabinet Office will make available the
guidance on best practice and regulatory impact assessment which it
publishes from time to time, to assist the National Assembly for Wales in
assessing its legislative proposals. The Cabinet Office will also consult
the National Assembly for Wales on any proposed changes to that guidance.
Charter Mark
26. The Charter Mark award
scheme [External website] will continue as a
UK-wide scheme. The Cabinet Office will liaise closely with the National
Assembly for Wales as with UK departments over the running of the scheme,
in particular on issues concerning funding and eligibility. The National
Assembly for Wales will continue to assist in the vetting of potential
winners and in the promotion of the scheme. Any proposals affecting UK
coverage of the scheme should be discussed at least one year in advance of
their proposed introduction.
International co-operation on Public Service and other
issues
27. The Cabinet Office retains overall responsibility for the formulation
of UK policy on EU public service and regulatory impact initiatives. It
also represents the UK at the OECD[External website] and in other international fora concerned
with public service policy and the modernisation of government, and
co-ordinates the progress reports and other action required under the
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
and following on from the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
However, the Cabinet Office will seek fully to involve the National
Assembly for Wales where appropriate. In particular, the Cabinet Office
will inform the National Assembly for Wales of all new policy initiatives
touching on devolved matters originating from the European Union or other
international fora as soon as possible after it becomes aware of them, and
provide timely access to all necessary information to enable agreement to
be reached between the two administrations in accordance with the
Memorandum of Understanding, the Concordat on Co-ordination of European
Union Policy Issues, and the Concordat on International Relations. The
Cabinet Office also retains a central policy interest in the principles
governing transposition of EU Directives into UK law. It will consult the
National Assembly for Wales when producing guidance on this issue.
Protective Security
28. The Cabinet Office has a central role in developing protective security
policy and promulgating guidance which applies to all UK Government
departments and agencies, UK Government contractors, and others who have
access to sensitive UK Government assets. The National Assembly for Wales
will base its own protective security régime on this guidance, and the
Cabinet Office will consult the Assembly on any changes it proposes to
make.
Cabinet Office Services
29. The National Assembly for Wales has access to the services listed in Annex D provided by the Cabinet
Office, its Agencies and the Central Office of Information, on the same
basis as UK departments.
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