8. What actions are being taken by the Welsh Government to protect public services within local government? (OAQ51075)

We will continue our efforts to protect local government in Wales from the worst of the cuts to the Welsh Government’s budget. I repeat, however, the advice I provided earlier this afternoon that this year should be used by local government to plan for harder times and tougher choices that lie ahead.

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. As you say, the number of questions you’ve already fielded this afternoon on this issue shows the importance of ensuring fair funding for local government, particularly in the times of austerity being imposed upon us by the Tory Government in Westminster. At the beginning of this month, Jeremy Miles and I attended a question-and-answer session of staff at Neath Port Talbot council in which they raised these concerns with us. They also raised other concerns such as the issues of grant funding and the hypothecation applied to that and the challenges they faced that could be avoided. When you announce your settlement on 10 October, will you look at the issue of hypothecated grant funding to see if you can actually put that into the RSG to ensure that councils can use the money as they best see fit to deliver services?

Dirprwy Lywydd, I read reports of the meeting that David Rees and Jeremy Miles had attended, and I absolutely understand the points that local workers in services were making about the pressures that they face and the impact of austerity in the lives of those that they try to assist. I have listened hard to what local authorities in Wales have said to me about moving more specific grants into the RSG to give them some more flexibility and to lift the bureaucratic burden, and I will be taking that advice very seriously as I move to outline the draft local government settlement on 10 October.

And finally question 9, Jeremy Miles.