The White Paper and your inclusive approach as Cabinet Secretary are to be welcomed. The county councils have certainly welcomed the opportunity to present their views, and that is reflected to a certain extent in the White Paper. For example, the way they’re to have flexibility in certain areas with collaboration, and the map that they can turn to, do respond to some of the concerns that have been previously raised when these issues have been discussed. The councils themselves often know what will work best, and each area is different—and there is recognition of that in the White Paper. But I also believe that we need a national policy on certain issues for the sake of consistency and to see more effective action.

I have three specific questions, hoping to engender some debate in this Chamber, but more importantly, perhaps, in the councils themselves and among our councillors. Certainly, Plaid Cymru will be discussing the content of your White Paper broadly, including in our local government forum in just a few weeks’ time. The first question is this: do you believe that all of these different layers and maps that will be created will create confusion in the minds of the public? Have you considered how you can overcome this in bringing the White Paper together?

Reducing complexity was one of the recommendations of the Williams commission, and there is a risk that you may create an even more complex and confusing system through this White Paper. I believe that the governance model that is to be adopted will be crucial to all of this. You’ve proposed a joint committee approach, with representatives of all councils coming around the table and, I assume, selecting a chair from their midst. Perhaps an alternative model would make it easier for the public to understand where accountability lies, namely a model that includes a joint committee or a cabinet but would also include a mayor, elected by the people of the region to be a chair or leader of the new joint body. In that regard, the public would know exactly where accountability lay.

The second question relates to a proportional vote as an optional proposal in holding local government elections under the new powers available to Wales. Plaid Cymru welcomes this as a step in the right direction, and it is an issue that we have argued in favour of a number of times in this Chamber. But we would go further, making a proportional single transferrable vote mandatory for all councils. Can you, perhaps, explain why you haven’t taken that particular step? Wouldn’t having consistency and a system that will be fairer provide that consistency across Wales, and wouldn’t that make it easier for everyone to understand? We’ve heard about the complexities of various systems in various states of the United States, for example, but shouldn’t the emphasis be on a system that’s easily understood for all? But we do welcome the move in that direction, and introducing votes for 16 and 17-year-olds is also another important step forward that we are pleased to support. These issues are a practical way of enlivening local democracy where people feel that their vote actually counts.

Thirdly, I turn to the Welsh Language, and I welcome the opportunity that we’ve had to discuss a few ideas. If we are to reach the aim of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, we must acknowledge the importance of economic linguistic planning as a means of strengthening the traditional Welsh-speaking heartlands. Making it mandatory for western councils, namely Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, to collaborate on strategic economic issues that would benefit the Welsh language would be an important first step, and would show the Government’s specific commitment to the need to link the development of the language with economic development, so I’d ask for your views on that. Will you, in due time, be willing to consider legislating in order to ensure that this western collaboration for the benefit of the Welsh language does actually occur? I look forward to hearing your responses. Thank you.