Plenary Contributions 03/02/15

First Minister’s Questions

Local Government Reorganisation

13:38
Janet Finch-Saunders
First Minister, last week the Minister for Public Services, Minister No. 3, sent shock waves across not only those authorities whose bids had failed but the wider local government community in Wales. Now, despite previous commitments to the Williams recommendations, last week’s actions certainly contradicted this. That left those authorities that had applied feeling that they’d completely been misled by the Minister and this Welsh Government. Now, this was, as you can well imagine, against a very tight financial, challenging sort of settlement and a challenging backdrop.

13:39
The Presiding Officer
Are you coming to the question?

13:39
Janet Finch-Saunders
Yes. With such uncertainty, turmoil and demoralisation in our very important level of governance here in Wales, it is time now for you to step up—

13:39
The Presiding Officer
Question.

13:39
Janet Finch-Saunders
[Continues.]—to the plate as the First Minister and tell us what is your plan for the blueprint for local government. And also—

13:39
The Presiding Officer
I think you’ve—

13:39
Janet Finch-Saunders
[Continues.]—are you still committed, are you still committed to the Williams recommendations or do you have a bigger plan for a much smaller number of authorities—[Interruption.]

13:39
The Presiding Officer
Order.

13:39
Janet Finch-Saunders
[Continues.]—in line with other Members within your own cabinet?

13:39
Carwyn Jones/The First Minister
We’re still considering what the map should look like, but what she’s suggesting is that the proposals that came forward from the councils should have been rubber-stamped, regardlesss of any wider context. And the reality is, of course, that only one of the proposals was actually in line with the Williams commission’s recommendations in any event. So, clearly, there were difficulties with doing that. I say, once again, that there is an open invitation to the other party leaders to take this forward. I’d prefer to take it forward on the basis of more than one party taking it forward. We know that it was always impossible to bring forward legislation before the election in 2016, and so, instead of shouting, come forward with some constructive proposals.