Janet Finch-Saunders: You have the money. You have the budget. You have the budget.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Cabinet Secretary, alarmingly, social service departments in local authorities in Wales overspent by £383 million against their budgets in 2016-17, with Cardiff Council alone exceeding their budget by a staggering £190 million. Now, many are predicted to massively overspend again over the next 12 months. Costs in social services are predicted to increase by another £344 million in the next...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Will the Member take an intervention, please?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Am I correct, though, that it came to the Welsh Government for their opinion and they actually didn't reject the suggestion?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes, go on.
Janet Finch-Saunders: It was brilliantly epitomised by the leader of Cardiff council, Huw Thomas, when he said: 'We would have concerns about any process of reorganisation or of renationalisation which distracted us from our delivery agenda.' Time and time again, we have seen bullish and defiant responses from you, Cabinet Secretary, in scrutiny here and during a meeting with the WLGA, in stating that opposition...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motion in the name of Paul Davies AM. The recent announcement of the Green Paper by the Cabinet Secretary on 20 March, without any prior discussions with us as AMs, is the third attempt by this Welsh Labour Government to reform the structure of local government in Wales. One would have thought, as a result of two previous failed attempts to bring forward...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Will the First Minister make a statement on intensive poultry farming units in Wales?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. Again, I'd just like to endorse and pay tribute to Angela for her contribution there that covered so many aspects of sepsis. Daily, we're reading now about how brutal this disease is, and how people are still very much unaware. I would just like to touch on people who are 'hospital at home', who are in an environment where they are reliant on carers coming in, and how quickly...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Cabinet Secretary, around £100 million of grants were dehypothecated in this year's budget for local authorities and local government, and, of course, we see that as a positive move forward. Obviously, the costs of administration are very high. However, a number of local authorities have raised serious concerns that the £13 million that was previously allocated for the minority ethnic,...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Will the Leader of the House provide an update on the successor project to Superfast Cymru?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, First Minister. Of course, straw last year was £42 a tonne bale. Now, it's as much as £70. Hay is £90 a tonne, clamp silage has gone up £15 a tonne to £40, and round bale silage has increased by over 230 per cent. Now, on top of this is the price of transportation, adding an extra £10 per bale. The situation, as you quite rightly point out, has led NFU Cymru and Forage...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 9. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to help farmers and livestock owners affected by the current fodder shortage in Wales? OAQ52005
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes. Without this passing, the committee will be unable to commence Stage 2 scrutiny, and the Bill could remain in some sort of limbo. Anyway, I look forward to taking my part in the scrutiny of this legislation going forward. Thank you.
Janet Finch-Saunders: I'd like to thank the Member for bringing this forward again today and, certainly, as a member of the committee, I will be supporting it, and we will be supporting it, passing Stage 1 in this Chamber. Calls to increase powers to the ombudsman have been made since 2013, and we feel that it is imperative that there is transformation within the ombudsman's role. No-one receiving any of our...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Well, thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Could you perhaps tell me of one local authority leader that has backed these plans so far? Now, the WLGA have spoken of the recent Welsh Government's assurance that no reorganisation would occur for 10 years. Yesterday, your Green Paper proposals destroyed that stability, and, with it, the confidence, the morale and any ability to plan for the future for...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Cabinet Secretary, you didn't give these to me, technically. I obtained these as a result of an FOI. Now, you stated yesterday—[Interruption.] You stated yesterday that you had been talking to council leaders the length and breadth of Wales, yet the Welsh Local Government Association have said that your Green Paper has caused 'disquiet and confusion'. Further, the leader of the Vale of...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, you will be aware that Members across this Chamber have raised concerns about the current local government funding formula. Now, with regard to that, you said to me in January: 'I've heard many Conservative Members here arguing for a change in the formula. What I haven't heard is Conservative councillors arguing for that change in the formula.' But...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Okay. Okay. With your proposals for larger local authorities, does the Cabinet Secretary envisage that councillors will be elected by proportional representation or first-past-the-post? We would like the answer to that today. And, finally, will you confirm how many council leaders have asked you to leave their councils alone and actually continue in the model now of 22 local authorities?...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Llywydd, today, we were called at 10:30 as spokespeople to meet with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the proposals going forward, and I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that. He has maintained since he came into post that he wanted to do so with absolute respect, and that's something we want to work forward to, in positive, going forward, terms. However, I have to be honest, to then present...
