I'd like to thank Llyr Gruffydd for raising this again in the Senedd, because I was actually one of the first constituencies that saw hundreds of my constituents, particularly members of the more elderly in our population, targeted in this way by these private enforcers. I'm not against outsourcing to the private sector where local authorities can actually make savings and the service delivery is of a high quality. However, in this instance, we have got severe problems. Ten thousand have taken to signing a social media page. There is a huge campaign against this. I know of MPs and other AMs across north Wales where this is a huge issue.
I take a problem, Cabinet Secretary, with your response. You keep saying it's up to each local authority how they do things. I know in other parts of the United Kingdom, if there were such schemes in place that were penalising people in the way that this is happening, their national Governments would get involved and actually send some guidance across the line. I would ask you if you would be so kind as to write to local authorities and just point out, where they are outsourcing to the private sector, that you as the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services expect due diligence, transparency, financial probity and absolute accountability with those services that are provided. It is unfair if our residents, our visitors, our elderly, if they are being penalised in some way because local authorities are outsourcing simply because they can't make ends meet given your financial settlement.
Presiding Officer, the Member was doing quite well up until that last sentence. She represents a political party, of course, that is almost removing the rate support grant from all local authorities in England, and in the last seven years has seen the spending power of local authorities in England fall by 49 per cent. So, I suspect she's on very, very thin ice there. However, let us take her at her word. We all welcome a sinner that repents. I join her in welcoming the fact that wholesale privatisation is not the way for local or public services to be delivered. I'm glad she's come and joined us in supporting that.
But, let me say this, where there are issues with the delivery of services, they are rightly taken up by Members and others with the local authority concerned. It is not right or proper that we seek to sustain and support local democracy whilst at the same time seeking to instruct local authorities how they should be carrying out their duties and how they should be delivering those services. That's not the way that you strengthen and empower local authorities. The Conservatives put their case to the people of England last week, and I think in most cases they were roundly defeated.