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British-Irish Council – Annual Report – 2012
British-Irish Council Summit, Cardiff, Wales – November 2012
The 19th Summit of the British-Irish Council was held in Cardiff on 26th November and was
chaired by the First Minister of Wales, Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM. The Council focused on
early years policy and the economy. Ministers considered the economic challenges facing
Member Administrations and in particular considered the role of capital infrastructure
development in supporting growth.
Early Years Policy
The Council reviewed in detail a report on the work undertaken by the Early Years Policy work
sector. The Council acknowledged the critical importance of early years in creating strong
foundations for children and families to thrive; and recognised the importance of investment
in early years in terms of generating better value for money in the public sector by moving
from curative to preventative models of service delivery.
The Council endorsed the principles that should underpin an approach to Early Years,
namely improved educational attainment, health and later life chances, while respecting that
each Member Administration will approach implementation in their own way and at their
own pace. The Council noted the significant benefits gained by officials from all Member
Administrations participating in the Council’s work sector and from sharing knowledge,
challenges, best practice and research outcomes relating to Early Years. The Council
welcomed the continuation of the Early Years work sector and supported the focus on
improving quality, including the critical role of the workforce.
The Economy
The Council discussed the current economic situation in the different Member
Administrations with a particular focus on the important role of investment in capital
infrastructure to support and promote economic growth. The Council also noted the latest
figures on youth unemployment and agreed that all Council work sectors should consider the
issue of generating employment opportunities for young people in their work programmes
where appropriate.