1.Will the First Minister provide an updateon local government reform? OAQ(5)0020(FM)

Yes. Over the next few weeks and months, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government will be meeting local government leaders and other stakeholders to listen to their views, before considering the long-term approach to local government reform, and a statement will, of course, be made in due course.

That’s a very encouraging answer, First Minister. You’re an astute man, and it won’t have escaped your notice that I’ve been opposing the plans to abolish the county of Monmouthshire as part of the local government reorganisation proposed by the last Welsh Government. Now that the Minister responsible for these plans has moved on to greater things, isn’t now a good time to get back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that we, councillors, and the public can all support? I’m more than happy to meet you for a pint sometime to discuss this. [Laughter.]

Well, I think these things are best kept on a formal basis, but I thank the Member for that invitation, nevertheless. Well, yes, those discussions will now begin. There seems to be general agreement that there is a need to move forward with reform of local government, but, of course, there are varying different views as to what form that should take. And, of course, the Cabinet Secretary will have discussions on this over the course of the next few weeks and months.

First Minister, the Auditor General for Wales, in his report, ‘A Picture of Public Services 2015’, last year, noted that, since the UK Government set its austerity programme in the 2010 spending review, Wales has had to manage a £1.2 million—sorry, I’ll say that again, a £1.2 billion funding cut. Despite such savage Tory cuts, local authorities and Welsh councils have continued—[Interruption.] Llywydd, if I may, they have continued to stand up for the communities of Wales. Will the First Minister outline his strength of conviction and commitment to the Welsh Government’s priorities for supporting the effective and efficient local government delivery of public services?

Yes, I will. I know that local government has had enormous challenges in dealing with the cuts that have been imposed on us from Westminster, and they have sought to serve their communities well. There are, of course, areas where there can be greater collaboration, in my view, and areas where there can be greater strengthening of consistency across local government in Wales, and I know that the Secretary is keen to lead on this, in discussions with other parties and, indeed, with local government leaders over the course of the next few months.

With the opportunity of local government reform, will the First Minister urgently take steps to ensure that a new regional structure is put in place, to allow flawed local development plans, with unnecessary use of greenfield sites, to be amended to avoid developer-led urban sprawl? Because, if you recall, on 24 April 2012, First Minister, you said that it was completely untrue that you had announced plans to build on Cardiff’s greenfield sites. You called it a blatant lie, only to be embarrassed by your own party which then published plans to build on Cardiff’s greenfield sites. You misled us all. Will you now redeem yourself in the eyes of the public and implement yet another Plaid Cymru policy?

Well, he has had this tussle before. I’ve made no such announcement ever, as a Minister or, indeed, as leader of any party, and he knows that full well. He raises an important point. It’s a point that’s raised, indeed, by my colleague, Hefin David, as well, the Member for Caerphilly, and that is that it’s not realistic for local development plans to be developed in isolation of each other. There is huge sense in having a strategic development framework across, particularly, the south-east of Wales, where there is great pressure. Cardiff is a city that’s growing very strongly and we should welcome that. But, nevertheless, we do need to ensure that there is a proper regional framework in place when it comes to planning for the growth of the various parts of Wales over the course of the next few years.