Alun Davies: In April, I set out in my written statement the range of future support from the Welsh Government for the armed forces community.
Alun Davies: The Government’s overall budget priorities, including the funding for local authorities, were set out yesterday. Whilst there is no ring-fencing of any specific part of the settlement, we and local government have prioritised funding for essential public services such as education and social care.
Alun Davies: Local authorities are democratically accountable for their performance. Welsh Government supports self-assessment and peer review and transparency about performance to enable public bodies to drive improvement and offer citizens a clear picture of performance. Audit, inspection and regulatory bodies have a key role in monitoring the quality of public services.
Alun Davies: Local authorities are subject to accountability through the electorate, and the Welsh Government continues to encourage local government to conduct its business in an open and transparent manner. Our recent consultations on local government reform proposed a range of ways to further increase transparency.
Alun Davies: Anti-social behaviour has a damaging effect on our communities. We are committed to addressing the issue through our funding of an additional 500 community support officers and implementing the recommendations of the Working Together for Safer Communities review.
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Yes, I will be. I've made the case on a number of occasions, but I believe we do need a significant investment in the secure estate in Wales. I think anybody looking at the estate as it is today would understand that it is not designed for Wales's needs and is not fit for purpose to meet our needs today and in the future. In terms of female offending, I am very, very anxious to ensure that we...
Alun Davies: —£4.1 billion in order to sustain and support the public services that she's described. I'm not going to stand here and defend for one moment the failed UK austerity programme, but what I will say to her is that I have not met a single councillor of any political stripe who has said to me, 'What we want to see is more Conservative policy and less Labour policy.' What I've heard from...
Alun Davies: I am meeting with Edward Argar MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, and Rory Stewart MP, Minister of State for Prisons, next Monday, 16 July.
Alun Davies: The Member is aware of the situation facing the Welsh Government in terms of the UK Government's austerity programme. Had we received a similar funding basis this year as we received in 2010, then we would have received an additional, I think—I'm looking at the finance Minister, who I'm delighted has walked back into the Chamber at this point—an additional £4 billion—
Alun Davies: In addition to income raised locally, local authorities received £4.2 billion of general funding to spend on services in 2018-19. This continues our commitment to protect local government in Wales from the worst of the UK Government’s spending restrictions.
