The purpose of this study is to extend knowledge concerning the health of expectant and nursing mothers and infants in working-class districts of Wales, particularly mothers and infants residing in the county of Monmouthshire during the 1920s and 1930s. The thesis covers the period 1900-1938 and considers the implementation of various Acts of Parliament and the effects of the legislation on the lives of women and infants. The main Acts covered are the Midwives Act 1902 and 1936, the Notification of Births Act 1907 and 1915, the Maternity and Child Welfare Act 1918 and the 'Special Areas' Act of 1934. Through the use of mainly primary sources and oral testimony, it will be argued that these social policies did extend the welfare system and bring benefits to mothers and infants. However, at the same time, the implementation of the policies exerted control over the realm of motherhood to such an extent that pregnancy, child-birth and infant care were irrevocably transported from the natural and familiar domestic sphere, into the unnatural and unfamiliar sphere of the public, male-dominated medical world. Furthermore, the policies which were initially introduced to improve the health of both mothers and infants were limited, discriminatory and did little to address the poverty, which was a reality of life for mothers in the working-class districts of Wales.

This dissertation will assess the role played by rural recreations across all sections of society in Wales from c.1750 to c.1900 as well as highlight the changes in organisation they underwent as some were gradually modified to become the codified sports of today. Although certain recreations were either outlawed or simply discontinued, others thrived by adopting standardised rules to acquire a modern guise. Drawing on a wealth of hitherto underutilised material, it will be shown how in preindustrial society especially, sport fulfilled a vital function among the common people, whose lives were otherwise dominated by arduous daily labour. Conversely, the gentry enjoyed ample free time, much of which was spent practising exclusive leisure pursuits. While these class boundaries sometimes overlapped, in that particular sports were socially inclusive, in reality the gentry nurtured their own activities to emphasise the distance between themselves and the lower orders. The involvement of women of all backgrounds in rural sports will also be considered, for their virtual invisibility from sports historiography to date hides detailed evidence of their spectating and participatory roles during the pre-industrial and industrial periods. Religious, moral and 'rational' opposition to many aspects of sport's perceived sinfulness continued throughout the nineteenth century, as criticisms were transferred from pre-industrial survivals to more systemised and codifed versions of the same activities. However, the growth of printed sporting material in Wales, notably the development of match reporting at the end of the nineteenth century, raised the profile of games considerably. The increasing promotion of sports in schools and colleges by the early twentieth century also encouraged widespread involvement and aided the cause for improved physical fitness. Industrialisation and urbanisation variously adapted, transformed and repressed many rural sports. This thesis will demonstrate the resilience of a tenacious sporting culture which not only continued to characterise rural Wales into the nineteenth century but in some respects can also be shown to have survived transplantation into the new urban environment of industrial Wales.

This overview, in partnership with the physical portfolio, chronicles my work as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, 1990 - 2000 and demonstrates how I invented, created and developed a young people's and emerging artists' policy and strategy in this regional theatre over a ten year period. In 1990 I was appointed to the post to create and develop the Sherman Theatre as Wales' premiere pioneering theatre for young people. Within this paper I will describe my practice over the ten year period, but I will also examine in detail my own artistic work in the year 1999-2000 with the aim of demonstrating how this period of work had particular relevance to young people. Within the study I will also investigate and explain some of my own personal working methods with artists when creating a theatre production. In the late 1980s the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) in partnership with the (then) South Glamorgan County Council (SGCC), the two main funders of the theatre, and the theatre's Board of Trustees employed Adrian Trickey, an independent arts consultant to prepare and present a feasibility study that investigated the possibility of the Sherman Theatre refocusing its policy and becoming a Young People's Theatre for Cardiff with an all Wales remit. His findings and proposals were positive and his recommendations accepted. I was appointed in 1990 to spearhead the development and translate the theoretical recommendations into positive practice. In 1999 I, in partnership with the senior management of the Sherman, recognised that the current funding levels of the theatre were far too low to sustain its artistic programme and the capital infrastructure of the building. We employed Peter Boyden, an independent arts consultant to work with us and advise the team in preparing a document for the Sherman's Board of Trustees, the ACW and Cardiff County Council (current funders) that clearly stated that the status quo operation at that time was not an option for sustainability of the Sherman Theatre. This overview records and examines the years between the Trickey and Boyden reports (1990-2000). This is a portfolio submission to the University of Glamorgan. The physical portfolio that accompanies this paper includes examples of artistic and administrative policy developments and practice. This submission is therefore a personal investigation and records the creation, development and sustainability of a Young People's Theatre and Emerging Artists Strategy within a regional theatre (Sherman Theatre) 1990-2000, and how it practically applied to a generation arising of young people and emerging artists.

This study examines the characteristics of a range of narrative and performance texts featuring Wenglish, the dialect of the South Wales Valleys, in terms of their linguistic and thematic content and their relation to the community. Part One comprises an introduction to Wenglish and an overview of research on English in South Wales and approaches to language in use. In Part Two the results of textual and discourse analysis of twenty-five texts (nine literary and seven formal performance excerpts and nine personal narratives) are presented. In Part Three insights arising from analysis are applied in three pieces of new creative work in dialect. A reference list of texts containing Wenglish is appended. Cultural outputs mirror and express the community which produces them and thus the formal and informal literary output of the South Wales Valleys both reflects and expresses some of the shared characteristics, values, beliefs and preoccupations of those communities. Analysis revealed recurrent thematic clusters (e.g. community, personal identity, world of work, sport) across the range of texts, suggesting the centrality of these themes and a close link between the texts and the community. From analysis of linguistic content, a ‘Wenglish index’ was calculated for each text. The literary texts generally had lower indices than the formal performance texts. The personal narratives, though informal, all had lower indices than the formal performance material, suggesting that in this latter category, dialect features are consciously exaggerated. Discourse analytical methods generated rich interpretive material at the level of individual texts. Insights from analysis proved useful at the initial and editing phases of new creative work. The possible practical application of Wenglish material in community and interpretive projects is also discussed.

This thesis explores the use of equity and its principles in the field of public law. It asks whether the relationship between local authorities and their service users can properly be understood as being a fiduciary relationship. In considering this question the thesis examines the extent to which the relationship is analogous to trusteeship or whether it is some other sui generis category. This requires exploration of core elements of trust and loyalty and analysis, within a local government context of the debate as to whether fiduciary duties are confined to having a proscriptive role or whether, as some advocate they have a wider prescriptive function. The relationship between local authorities and their service users is not considered to be a fiduciary relationship within the traditional class of relationships so classified. Notwithstanding, there are instances within that relationship where the characteristics resemble in part application of a sui generis label. For example, in the realm of local authorities and their interaction with the elderly, child care and youth counselling services it is possible to apply a quasi - trusteeship role. This categorisation cannot however be extended to the majority of interactions between local authorities and their service users which usually fall within a contract or tortious setting. The main reason in not being able to identify the relationship between local authorities and their service users as fully fiduciary is the inability to point to a central core of loyalty between the parties which is so necessary for a finding of the existence of a fiduciary relationship. The loyalty inhibitor is the polycentric essence of much of local authority decision making, which is made in a very diverse community group often with different complex needs and aspirations all clambering for attention. Further, as local authorities are public bodies they must accommodate the ‘public interest’ in any decision making process and outcome. These factors combine to make a very different decision making environment than the way fiduciary obligations can be exercised in private law and makes the hurdles higher for an exercise of translation to the public law sphere. The purpose of this analysis is to explore whether the roving commission of equity has any application to the public law field. Has equity died and shrivelled, or does equity still have the ability to flourish and accommodate new situations and changes in social morals and norms, ‘yet maintain its core values and norms, without which no society can survive, let alone flourish.’? Notwithstanding, these hurdles this author considers that equity still has a role to play in public law, none more so than in the day to day decision making of local authorities as well as in judicial review proceedings. Equity can bring a contextual approach so necessary when substantive review is applied. Equity has proved to be a robust flexible adaptable tool, even in a complex modern environment. For example, the remedies it has fashioned of injunctions, declaratory relief and freezing orders to mention a few , as well as aiding the common law in its application of trust principles to a deserted wife’s equity, where the title was in one party’s sole name. This author espouses a principle of stewardship which can be applied as an additional substantive review tool in the judicial tool box, along with Wednesbury and proportionality. Structuring substantive review is a major current debate in public law both judicially and academically: there is no valid reason why ethical principles such as stewardship-of person, place, property and purpose should not be a valid contributory player.

The focus of this study is on the public procurement law applicable where UK contracting authorities seek to adjust the provisions of existing contracts. This study aims firstly to identify the law applicable to contract adjustments and secondly to establish how that law is applied in practice. In order to achieve the first objective, chapter 2 of this study set out the substantive law applicable to contract adjustments (including that arising from the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union , the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and 2015, and case law) and chapters 3, 4, and 5 consider respectively the content of that law specifically in the cases of review clauses, adjustments upon operation of law, and other adjustments. The second objective is met through considering the findings of relevant case law and also through undertaking empirical research. Chapter 6 set out the empirical research method, which focuses on adjustments to public private partnership contracts in the health, secure accommodation and education sectors. Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires from private practice lawyers who advise contracting authorities on adjustments to those contracts within the scope of this research and contracting authorities themselves. Chapter 7 then sets out the findings of that empirical research. In the concluding chapter 8 the findings of the research are set out including an explanation of the ambiguities identified in the existing legal framework, and an articulation of the overall approach taken by contracting authorities when adjusting contracts, which suggests that a pragmatic approach (including assessment of likelihood of successful procurement law challenge) is taken to best enable the attainment of the contracting authorities’ procurement objectives. The study closes by setting out ways in which the law on contract adjustments could be clarified or improved.

Yn y traethawd hwn trafodir y newidiadau a ddigwyddodd ym mywyd inewnol ac yn ethos y pedwar corff Ymneilltuol yng Nghynlru rhwng 1840 a 1870. Y thesis y ceisir ei ddatblygu yw fod y newidiadau hyn o dipyn i bath wedi eu gweddnewid. Yng nhorff y traethawd fe wneir defnydd o dermau a theorlau'r cymdeithasegwyr sydd weds astudio crefydd and nid heb geisio ystyried yn feirniadol i ba raddau y gellir gwneud defnydd dilys ohonynt yng nghyd-destun hanes crefydd yng Nghymru. Ymddengys fod eu diffiniadau o 'sect' ac 'enwad' yn gynorthwyol. Felly canolbwyntir ar fywyd mewnol y Cyrff crefyddol. Dadansoddir eu hymarweddiad a'u hegwyddorion fei cymdeithasau Cristnogol yn hytrach na'u gweithgareddau allanol, cymdeithasol a gwleidyddol. Gan hynny, yn ystod y drafodaeth, astudir yn ofalus eu hagwedd at eu harwahanrwydd, at y ddisgyblaeth eglwysig, at y 'ddyletswydd deuluaidd', at ymddygiad wrth addoli, at anffurfioldeb, at bregethu, at y Fugeiliaeth, at addysg, at berthynas gyda chyrff cýrjfyddol eraill, at ddiwygiadau, at gynllun a phensaerniaeth capeli ac Pt gyfundrefnu. Wrth dafoli arwyddoc&d y cyfnewidiadau, daw'n eglur sut yr oedd y cyrff Ymneilltuol yn eu haddasu eu hunain i gyfarfod her cyfnod cynhyrfus yn hanes Cymru. Daethant o dipyn i beth yn enwadau a deimlai gyfrifoldeb tuag at y byd seciwiar a thuag at y genedl. Bu i'r newid o sectyddiaeth i enwadyddiaeth esgor ar ganlyniadau yr oedd eu dylawad i'w gweld ymhell i'r ugeinfed ganrif. Proses graddol a chymleth oedd hwn yn dylanwadu ar bob agwedd ar fywyd mewnol y Cyrff and y ddadl yw fod y newid mwyaf arwyddocaol wedi digwydd rhwng 1840 a 1870.

On 25 October 1855 Lord Cardigan led the Light Brigade in a fateful charge against a Russian artillery battery. Poet Laureate Lord Tennyson immortalised the cavalry’s valour in verse. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die, Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred Since then, British soldiers, sailors and pilots have been engaged in countless wars, conflicts and peacekeeping missions across the globe. Many have died in defence of the United Kingdom and her interests. What obligations do states have to armed forces personnel who lay down their lives? This thesis is about guaranteeing armed forces personnel’s right to life. It asks about the obligations states owe to their own armed forces under the European Convention on Human Rights. Military service exposes individual servicemen and women to countless dangers – the risk of being killed in enemy attack, friendly fire, the risks from hostile environments and infectious disease, difficult training exercises and the inherent risks surrounding weapons. This thesis examines whether states are under a duty to protect servicemen and women against such risks. These risks are inherent to military service. Some, such as enemy attack, are virtually impossible to predict and guard against. The focus of this thesis is to establish realistic, practical and effective expressions of the right to life that fulfil states’ obligations under human rights law, whilst also maintaining military efficacy, discretion and decision-making authority. In order to be effective human rights law must not impose unrealistic burdens on states. This thesis considers how to provide effective, balanced legal protection for servicemen and women that makes allowances for the realities of military service.

This thesis provides an English law analysis on collaboration and contract management in the context of offshore upstream oil and gas contracts in light of the Maximising Economic Recovery [hereinafter ‘MER’] Strategy. The predominant subject of the thesis is the impact on offshore contracting of the MER Strategy. The thesis firstly considers that the Strategy is not merely another statute to regulate the offshore sector – its impact is of paramount importance because it sets a comprehensive framework for the coming decades until the cessation of operations in the North Sea. The MER Strategy seeks to address the field ‘maturity’ in the North Sea, which causes high extraction costs and questions the current business and contracting model. Secondly, the thesis focuses on the contracting model and relationship among operators and contractors, i.e. oil and gas companies and the supply chain. This niche area of contract law has been in the spotlight of academics and practitioners for many years, and abundant literature exists focusing on so-called ‘risk allocation’ clauses. However, the thesis approaches the subject in an original manner: looking beyond the traditional legal standpoint, it introduces the element of ‘contract and commercial management’ and focuses on the potential of ‘collaboration’. It argues that these two elements are key to the future of offshore contracting in light of the MER Strategy. The explanation of where these two terms ‘sit’ from an academic, practical and taxonomic standpoint is not an easy task. Contract and commercial management is a management-based discipline that goes beyond certain limitations imposed on the role of contract, championed by ‘strict’ school of thoughts on contract law. It perceives the contract to be mainly a device of ‘problem solving’ rather than ‘failure management’. Collaboration is a notion with great potential for contracting in general – and offshore contracting in particular – which nevertheless brings with it substantial challenges that need to be addressed. Collaboration is a crucial concept in the MER Strategy, and the thesis seeks to ascertain its meaning both within and beyond the context of the Strategy. Most importantly, the thesis explores the legal meaning and ramifications of collaboration, since although it is not a legal term of art, it is ‘reflected’ on existing doctrinal notions.

Around 90% of criminal convictions in England & Wales are based on guilty pleas. The criminal justice process places deliberate pressures on defendants to plead guilty, undermining the traditional account of the guilty plea as a voluntary and reliable confession. However, despite the acknowledged risk of wrongful conviction, appeal against guilty plea conviction is limited. Through empirical research and theoretical analysis, this thesis examines how the appeal courts and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) respond to challenges to guilty plea convictions and the accounts of the guilty plea they provide to justify these responses. This entails the analysis of appellate caselaw, alongside an examination of CCRC files in guilty plea cases, an observational study of defence plea advice and hearings, and interviews with lawyers and CCRC staff in order to assess whether the accounts offered by the courts and the CCRC have any foundation in practice. The research reveals that the criminal justice system, as designed and operated, prioritises efficiency over fairness and accuracy in its treatment of guilty pleas (reflecting Nobles and Schiff's analysis of tragic choices in the system). Despite the consequent risk of injustice, the appeal courts resist challenges to guilty plea convictions, relying on unsupportable accounts of the guilty plea as a confession, and of defence lawyers as sheltering defendants from plea pressures. In turn, the CCRC's approach to such cases is characterised by confusion and, ultimately, the prioritisation of efficiency and finality. In response, the thesis proposes an account of the guilty plea as the defendant's prediction of the likely trial outcome (the 'defendant-assessed verdict'). While requiring procedural changes to allow defendants to be supported and informed in assessing the case, this account could provide a justification for guilty plea convictions and offer a framework for assessing challenges to such convictions in the future.