If I can just inform the Cabinet Secretary, I'm not sure that many in local government see this as a positive process. In fact, they actually see it as an arrogant process.

Anyway, in their response to your Green Paper, Conwy County Borough Council have stated that the real and realistic alternative to the proposals in the Green Paper is for the Welsh Government to provide a period of support and stability. And how let down were they when your predecessor actually promised them, only a year ago, 10 years of such stability? Moreover, Denbighshire County Borough Council have come out very strongly against your proposals, stating that a credible case for change has not been made, noting that the past experience of some authorities with regard to voluntary mergers, and Government's response to them, is hardly encouraging.

We know that the proposals put forward by Conwy and Denbighshire were rejected out of hand by your predecessor. So, can you explain to those local authorities, who saw their voluntary merger proposals thrown out without even an explanation during the fourth Assembly, and who then accepted the reassurance by your predecessor's promise of 10 years of stability just last year, why you have now sought to continue with this foolhardy approach towards forced local government mergers?