The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales is an executive non-departmental public body of the Welsh Government which regulates wages for farm workers within Wales
| Act of the National Assembly for Wales | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act of the National Assembly for Wales to make provision in relation to the agricultural sector in Wales; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2014 anaw 6 |
| Territorial extent | Wales |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
History
editInitially, the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) was responsible for setting minimum wage for farm workers in both England and Wales. however, during the so-called "bonfire of the quangos" by the Cameron–Clegg government, the AWB was one of many governmental bodies abolished by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.[1]
In August 2013 year, the Welsh Assembly responded by passing the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill in an attempt to maintain a regulatory body within Wales for agricultural wages. Despite the bill passing in the Assembly, it was blocked by then UK Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, who claimed it was not a devolved matter.[2] The dispute went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the Welsh Assembly.[3][4][5] The bill entered into law as the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 (anaw 6), and resulted in the creation of the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales[4][6]
Board composition
editThe Agricultural Wages Board consisted of seven members and was appointed as such:[7]
- 2 nominated by Unite the Union to represent agricultural workers
- 2 nominated by National Farmers' Union and Farmers' Union of Wales to represent employers (one each)
- 3 independent members (including the board chair) appointed by the Welsh Government
Counterparts
editEach of the devolved countries in the United Kingdom currently maintains a counterpart to the AAPW:
- the Scottish Government maintains the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
- the Stormont government's DAERA maintains the Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Labour calls for Agricultural Wages Board not to be abolished". BBC News. 24 April 2013.
- ^ "Farm wages bill blocked by UK Attorney General". BBC News. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ "Wages row affecting Welsh farmers reaches Supreme Court". BBC News. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ a b "Ministers can protect farm wages following court ruling". BBC News. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill - Reference by the Attorney General for England and Wales, UKSC 43 (Supreme Court of the United Kingdom 2014).
- ^ Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament. Education (Wales) Act 2014 as amended (see also enacted form), from legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ "What we do: Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2024-07-15.