6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the online broadcast of council meetings in Wales? OAQ(5)0123(FLG)

I thank Gareth Bennett for the question. The Welsh Government has provided financial support to enable local authorities to broadcast their meetings. Currently, 18 local authorities broadcast their full council meetings, and some local authorities go beyond that and broadcast other meetings as well. The reforming local government White Paper proposes making broadcasting of council meetings a statutory requirement.

Yes, thanks for that. I think, although the Government here did provide money, it hasn’t been an across-the-board, consistent system, so it would be welcome if we could at least have the full council meetings broadcast by each council. Hopefully, you will stick to this, and I’m sure you will. It’s good that some of the councils are also broadcasting the cabinet meetings, which is welcome. So, can you just guarantee that you will push through with this once the local elections are over?

Well, I entirely agree with what the Member has said. I think local populations have a right to see what goes on in their name in their council chambers. That’s why the White Paper proposes that broadcasting council meetings should be a statutory requirement, rather than simply a request of local authorities, and the vast majority of local authorities in Wales are already well on that road. I hope that our White Paper will give a further impetus to doing that right across Wales.