Welsh Conservatives’ Janet Finch-Saunders AM has today criticised the Labour Government following its refusal to provide answers to a series of Written Assembly Questions.

The questions (WAQ73837-73841) requested information on Welsh Government pilot programmes initiated over a three-year period, and the number of those which were subsequently approved for wider roll-out across Wales.

Following a series of ‘nonanswers’ from Labour, the Aberconwy AM has accused the First Minister and his band of cabinet secretaries of ‘running scared’ of scrutiny.

She has today written to Carwyn Jones urging his Government to release the information as a matter of urgency.

Local government spokesman, Janet Finch-Saunders AM, said:

“The importance of knowing the costs of pilot programmes is crucial for any government and it’s concerning to see this information is not collected in a readily available fashion, particularly when you consider the Labour Government’s lamentable record of delivery for the Welsh taxpayer.

“In the 21st century, there is no excuse for this information not to be easily recorded, available and released when questioned by any member in the Welsh Parliament.

“The lack of detail and respect in these answers implies the Welsh Labour Government is either running scared of scrutiny or running an operation akin to something in the 1980s. And after a string of Labour scandals involving the misuse of taxpayers’ money, it is alarming that Carwyn Jones and his Ministers do not have such significant and important details to hand.

“The Welsh public deserves greater transparency from the Labour Government and this is sadly another example of a complacent and arrogant administration dismissing any accountability to AMs and the Welsh electorate.

“I therefore urge the First Minister to undertake an immediate review into the manner in which Written Assembly Questions are handled by the Welsh Government.”    

Notes to editors:

Letter from Janet Finch-Saunders to the First Minister is attached.