Alun Davies: Responsibility for effective delivery of services rests with local authorities. Local authorities must consider how they can best use their resources and work with others to deliver longer term efficiencies so that they can continue to deliver services to their citizens.
Alun Davies: The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires public bodies to think and act differently, putting collaboration at the heart of how they work. This includes, but extends far beyond, their work on public services boards.
Alun Davies: I will be making a statement on the future of local government on 17 July.
Alun Davies: I expect all local authorities to work closely with each other, as well as other public sector bodies. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires us to think about the long term, work better with people, communities and each other, look to prevent problems, and take a more joined-up approach.
Alun Davies: Local authorities and local health boards are both statutory members of public services boards, and have a joint responsibility to work together to improve the wellbeing of their areas.
Alun Davies: I will be making a statement on the future of local government on 17 July.
Alun Davies: Local authorities are able to charge for services where there is statutory provision to allow it. Fees should be used to deliver quality services whilst providing value for the local taxpayer.
Alun Davies: I am reviewing the governance and finance arrangements for fire and rescue authorities to improve their accountability to communities. I will consult on our plans in the autumn.
Alun Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. When I first spoke with Welsh local government last November, I told them that I believe in the public good and the public purpose and I very much believe in local government. It is these principles, Deputy Presiding Officer, that drive this Government. For a great deal of time, many groups and individuals, including local government leaders, have been...
Alun Davies: The Green Paper consultation set out proposals to create larger, stronger and more sustainable councils as we set out in our manifesto. The Green Paper offered three possible routes to achieve this: voluntary mergers; phased mergers with comprehensive mergers at the local government elections after next; and comprehensive mergers at the earliest opportunity. It also highlighted other...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, I'm afraid I'm going to start my response this afternoon by breaking Janet's heart. I'm sure she didn't intend this, but I actually think her remarks are very helpful, and I actually agree with much of what she said. I know this is somewhat unusual; I can see the Presiding Officer looks quite surprised as well.
Alun Davies: We can agree on some things. Much of what has been said by the Conservative spokesperson, I think, makes a great deal of sense, and this is why I hope that the way in which we work with the WLGA and take forward a reform programme won't simply look at the structures, but it will look at how we work together as a Government and systems of governance within this country. I agree that there is a...
Alun Davies: I would be very happy to do that. We have been discussing for some months the parts of the legislation that will be dealing with electoral reform, and, as the Member has acknowledged in her contribution, like her, I agree with PR, proportional voting, and I do think that that would be a help in creating much more diversity within local government and in ensuring that many more people have the...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful, Presiding Officer, for the comments. Can I say this? I have never argued for a one-size-fits-all approach to local government reform and never have I argued that, necessarily, significantly large councils are always a good thing. In fact, if you look at a much wider basis than simply Wales, you will see that the councils that were being proposed in the Green Paper are not...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, the point made by the Member for Cardiff Central is very, very well made—the challenges ahead are serious and significant. Given the way in which the United Kingdom Government, in acting as the Government of England, is seeking to reduce support for local authorities to virtually nothing and to make local authorities—to compel local authorities—to be self-sustaining,...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I will start, with your consent, by making a declaration that I am a member of Unison in case any of these matters touch on those issues. Can I say that I clearly will wish to recognise the hard work of everybody working in local government at all levels? Local authorities across Wales are responsible for services to some of our most vulnerable...
Alun Davies: —the protections that were put in place by a Government here and a Labour Government in the United Kingdom. I will give way.
Alun Davies: I think I have addressed the figures and I’ve said already that we have £800 million less to spend on public services and public service workers every year in Wales as a consequence of the failed policy of austerity and, of course, we’ve heard voices from the other side of the Chamber that think that austerity has to go further still. So, I hesitate to take seriously some of the points...
Alun Davies: I met with UK Ministers in July and regularly meet with the head of Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service in Wales to discuss the probation services provided to Welsh prisoners.
Alun Davies: I do agree with the Member for Port Talbot, in terms of the analysis that he has of the failures of the probation service. These are matters I have discussed both with the service itself and with Ministers in the United Kingdom Government. I agree with him also that these matters should properly be held here, and be the responsibility of the Welsh Government. He may be interested to know that...
