Part of 2. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:57 pm on 4 July 2017.
First Minister, local authorities deliver key services to our communities, so it’s vitally important that we have a thriving local democracy. A fundamental requirement of that is local authorities that reflect their local populations, but the most recent local elections delivered something like 28 per cent of our councillors across Wales in terms of women councillors, with individual local authorities ranging from something like 10 per cent to 40 per cent. So, we do need to make progress. Would you agree with me that one important aspect of making necessary progress is to have strong role models amongst our female councillors in Wales? Would you also join me in welcoming the re-election of Debbie Wilcox to lead Newport City Council, and, in a subsequent election, to lead the Welsh Local Government Association, and so to lead local government in Wales?