Consultation responses
We respond to consultations on matters related to our programmes of work and our particular knowledge and expertise.
You can find out about the latest consultation responses that we are working on in our monthly newsletter. To get involved and feed into future responses, contact our Policy and Communications team.
Health consultation response
In this consultation, we are calling for the Committee to look at two specific issues; the GP shortage in Wales, and business models within the social care sector. We also highlight the development of the Co-operative Care Sector, the of co-operatives in the care system as well as social value in procurement.
Economy consultation response
This consultation focuses the role, and potential expanded role, of social enterprise in the Welsh economy - and the future of specialist support that can be provided for the sector, how social enterprise can be embedded in the decarbonisation agenda, to ensure that the economic and environmental impact is maximised, and what must be done to ensure that the Welsh Government meets its commitment to double the number of employee-owned businesses in Wales.
Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations: priorities for the sixth Senedd
This report outlines the important role social enterprises play in supporting communities, families and individuals that are socially or financially excluded. It also explores the potential for community-led housing to support Welsh language communities, and how community-led models support the housing needs of a local community, ensuring that there is sufficient affordable housing available, which in-turn protects the survival of the Welsh language.
Priorities for the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group's response concentrated on Welsh Government's priorities for climate change. It outlined how there should be a bold and ambitious role for social enterprise in delivering a green economy and just green transition. We believe that Welsh Government could go further in harnessing the potential of the sector to deliver against this agenda. Welsh Government policies relating to the climate emergency and protecting the environment should promote social enterprise as the business model of choice for organisations working and wanting to work in this area.
Carbon Neutral Cardiff consultation response
Wales Co-operative Centre was asked to prepare a response relating to Cardiff City Council’s draft Carbon Neutral Cardiff Strategy. This ambitious strategy is a positive and ambitious step for the City Council. The response from Wales Co-operative Centre highlighted the need to engage the business community in delivering the strategy and emphasised the role the social businesses can play in local supply chains. The response was presented to the Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee.
Welsh Economy and COVID-19: Welsh Affairs Select Committee inquiry
This Welsh Affairs Select Committee consultation related to how Wales and the UK planned to emerge from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the support that would be needed for the Welsh economy, as we started the recovery process. The response outlined the importance of the social business sector in the recovery and rebuild phase and emphasised the need for support for the hospitality, culture and tourism sectors in Wales.
A Framework for Regional Investment in Wales consultation response
This consultation focussed on the plans for Regional investment in Wales. Our response broadly supported the proposals and we highlighted the need for some funding streams, such as those for business support, to remain at a pan Wales level. The submission also emphasised the productive and competitive role that social businesses play within the Welsh economy and the vital contribution that they will make in the post COVID recovery.
Senedd inquiry: COVID-19 and its impact on equality, local government and communities
The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee undertook an inquiry into the Covid-19 outbreak in Wales. The inquiry considered the impact of coronavirus, and the response to it, on local government, housing, equalities, tackling poverty and human rights. Our submission focused on the impact on those who are digitally-excluded and the work of Digital Communities Wales in response to this crisis.
Senedd inquiry: COVID-19 and its impact on culture, creative industries, heritage, communications and sport
The inquiry will consider the impact of the outbreak, and its management on sectors under the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee’s remit. Our submission highlighted the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the arts/entertainment/recreation sector, the sector with the highest proportion of social enterprises in Wales.
Senedd inquiry: Covid-19 and its impact on health and social care
This inquiry considered the impact of the outbreak, and its management, on health and social care services in Wales. Our submission highlighted the stark impact on digital exclusion on older people in Wales, which has been exacerbated by the current crisis. It also highlighted the work of Digital Communities Wales in response to the crisis, and especially its Digital Device scheme in care homes across the country.
Our Future Wales consultation response
The Welsh Government issued an invitation to send thoughts on how they should support future post-Covid recovery and reconstruction in Wales. Our response highlighted the 10 priority asks that we have developed, that prioritise the development of a well-being economy and digital inclusion in Wales.
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24
This consultation was an opportunity to inform the Senedd Committees’ scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s draft budget for 2023-24. We emphasized the impact our projects have made in key areas such as social enterprise, digital skills and community housing. We stressed the need to support the social and co-operative economy to develop and provide solutions to the cost of living and climate crises facing our communities.
Developing a national framework for social prescribing
The Welsh Government asked organisations to inform their development of a National Framework for Social Prescribing in Wales. In our response, we supported the principles and potential of social prescribing and set out how to support deliverers of community-based services to engage with the opportunities that come out of it – in terms of sustainable finance, accessibility, and digital.
Decarbonisation of housing: decarbonising the private housing sector
The Committee consulted on its work on decarbonisation of the private housing sector. We stressed the potential of embedding social enterprise in this process to ensure that its triple bottom line approach embeds community wealth.
The challenges facing the creative industry workforce in Wales
We responded to this consultation as part of the Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group. To inform the Committee’s work on the creative industry workforce in Wales, we highlighted our research on the impact of Covid-19 and the Social Business Mapping exercise that highlighted the high prevalence of social enterprises within this industry. We highlighted the challenges facing the sector and how co-operatives and mutuals have the potential to provide a solution to these issues.
Draft Innovation Strategy
We responded to this consultation as part of the Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group. The Welsh Government set out its draft innovation strategy, and we stressed the need for social enterprise to play a central and key role in this. Social enterprise and its triple bottom line model holds the key to ensuring that innovation can be used to answer the challenges facing communities and building resilient, fairer and stronger economies. We urged the Strategy to set out a clear plan for how the Welsh Government can facilitate innovation with a social purpose in challenging economic times.
Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill
The Committee asked for views on the general principles of the Bill and the need for legislation to deliver the policy. We noted our support for the principles of the Bill and the need for legislation, and promoted the role of social enterprise in achieving the ambitions of the Bill, and the need for social enterprise to be represented.
