On March 31st 2006, over 1,500 people went to bed in Wales as public servants and woke up next day as civil servants. Overnight, their freedom of speech had been radically curtailed and their whole working ethos had been transformed. So, who were these 1,500 people, what happened to them, and what difference does their changed status make to modern Wales and its image at home and abroad?

Welsh Business Support: The End of the Welsh Development Agency

The people were employees of the Welsh Development Agency, the Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Elwas (the bodies responsible for administering and funding all post-16 education in Wales except for the universities). Sir Digby Jones, the then Director of the CBI described the takeover of the WDA as follows:

"I think the decision to take the WDA inside is flawed ...... I think it is wrong. I think it is born of a desire for power and political control. I don't think it will serve Wales well and I think it's a real shame. I hope that in four or five years time people will look back and say that my judgment was wrong and that Wales did benefit, of course I do, because the people of Wales, the jobs of Wales, the wealth creation of Wales needs a quality WDA."

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