Janet Finch-Saunders: So, I’d ask you: do you really feel that local authorities are up to the mark when it comes to procurement? Because I’ve worked previously with the previous Minister for finance, Jane Hutt, on this and I think it’s fair to say that, with local authorities, in terms of local procurement and cost-effective procurement, we still have a long way to go.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Right. Okay.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Okay. My final question then: what stakeholders have been engaged from successful ICT shared services in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and how are you looking at other devolved nations to see how they are actually working in terms of local government reform? Thank you. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Janet Finch-Saunders: There has been much demoralisation over the past three years and this certainly does bring more clarity to the table. You, of all people, know that I really welcome the acknowledgement and the work that lies ahead as regards community councils, but I do have some questions on this one. You do mention further consultation. Again, that was not the best way to go about it in terms of the...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I’d just like to endorse earlier comments made about how welcome this statement is today and the fact that you acknowledge now that your Government needed to do a u-turn on what was a fiasco during the past three years. I would just respectfully disagree with you as regards the draft local government Bill, where you said you’d found much agreement. If you do recall, Cabinet Secretary, in...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Of course, many of the promises prior to devolution and one of the core tenets of devolution was to shorten the divide between north and south Wales. Indeed, the 1999 Welsh Labour manifesto stated: ‘We believe that improved north/south links essential to the future economic, social and cultural cohesion of Wales.’ And it promised to address the need, then, for improved road links and to...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Your programme for government also sets out a promise to provide a funding floor for local government funding. However, there is no mention or consideration of rural councils, which have consistently and previously, over previous terms, been weighted against when it comes to the local government settlement. Will you commit to an immediate review of the funding formula to ensure...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. The First Minister stated yesterday that you’re intending to have 22 local authorities, though now with regional shared services. I think this will come as news to many, and we still have no detail whatsoever on this. Would you enlighten the Chamber today as to how you will bring this forward? Will there be elected representatives at the head of these shared...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, figures released today by Citizens Advice Cymru show that council tax arrears actually remain now the biggest and single cause of debt in Wales. In your programme for government, there is mention of working with local government to review council tax. Just how do you intend to bring this forward and are we to assume that one of the models to be considered...
Janet Finch-Saunders: First Minister, I’m somewhat baffled by the lack of mention of local government in your programme for government, particularly so when you’ve been using rhetoric about what was in the manifesto. Well, it was, actually, in fact, in your manifesto that you do recognise the vital role of local government— ‘so we will seek to create stronger, larger local authorities, as well as stronger...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, First Minister. However, the number of cattle slaughtered as a result of contracting bovine TB has actually seen a sharp increase of 43 per cent over the past 12 months, bringing much misery and financial hardship to our farmers. I understand that the Welsh Government abandoned its own vaccine programme in December, given the levels of human TB and the shortage of vaccine now...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 6. Will the First Minister make a statement on Bovine TB levels in Wales? OAQ(5)0151(FM)
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Cabinet Secretary. The knock-on effects, of course, of the changes to the housing land availability calculation under the revised TAN 1 are now starting to come into play for residents in Conwy and in all authorities across Wales. In response to the TAN 1 consultation, local planning authorities generally disagreed with the sole use of the residual methodology for calculating housing...
Janet Finch-Saunders: My question actually follows on from both questions that have been asked previously. Moves to trial four-weekly collections in Conwy County Borough Council is causing huge uproar, with many families now actually worried about how they’re going to be able to cope. Concerns are obviously about overflowing bins and increased fly-tipping. Fly-tipping in Wales costs the environment £70 million...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on the effectiveness of TAN1? OAQ(5)0024(ERA)
Janet Finch-Saunders: Will the Minister make a statement on commercial tenancies let by local authorities?
Janet Finch-Saunders: ‘A Planned Primary Care Workforce for Wales’ referenced the emerging role of physicians’ associations and our medical schools as a way of boosting the numbers of GPs in Wales. Given the undeniable crisis of GP provision in Wales, how have you taken this recommendation forward, and what plans do you have in place to increase on just 27 funded places available through our medical schools...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. A matter that has come to light recently, certainly in my own constituency, is the nature of the questions asked by call handlers when first dialling 999, when somebody is calling an ambulance on behalf of someone not personally known to them. It’s happened to me twice in recent weeks where I haven’t known the person, but they’ve fallen outside my office....
Janet Finch-Saunders: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Ambulance Trust? OAQ(5)0027(HWS)
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, First Minister. You’ll be aware that, for some, when mention of a new school is taken forward, there can be concerns, especially when children and parents are very happy with the school that they’re actually attending. Now, under section 5.4 of the Welsh Government’s statutory school organisation code, local authorities are obliged to consider all objections submitted...
