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Electoral Reform in Local Government

2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd on 29 November 2017.

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Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Plaid Cymru

(Translated)

2. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on electoral reform in local government in Wales? OAQ51357

Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 2:22, 29 November 2017

I'm currently considering the responses to the consultation on electoral reform. I intend to make a statement on the next steps in February.

Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Plaid Cymru

Thanks. Cabinet Secretary, I recently responded to the consultation. Question 33 stated: do you agree that it should not be permissible to serve both as an Assembly Member and councillor? Aside from that being very leading and unbefitting of a serious consultation, it's the Government's position, I understand, to ban AMs from also being councillors. I'll just point out that you're carrying out two roles: a ministerial role, which says that Ministers must keep separate their roles as Minister and Assembly Member. Effectively, they're two different jobs. Here, there are Members of the House of Lords—both a lord and a baroness—who are serving in your Government; we have a Member of the European Parliament who is unable to be here today; and we are successfully being presided over by an Assembly Member, who is also the Presiding Officer—[Laughter.]

Photo of Elin Jones Elin Jones Plaid Cymru 2:23, 29 November 2017

Carry on. I'm intrigued as to where you're going with it. [Laughter.]

Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Plaid Cymru

In terms of roles, we also have company directors and people otherwise employed. So, really, to get to the nub of the question—[Laughter.] Thank you. What is it that offends the Government so much about an AM being a councillor? And, really, are you planning to stop AMs from acting as councillors simply to frustrate democracy and do through Government and legislation what you cannot do through the ballot box?

Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour

Presiding Officer, Councillor McEvoy will hear my conclusions at the same time as anyone else. I will say this to him: I believe it is important that people who are here serve democracy by not having any conflict of interest. It is my view that serving as a local authority member and a Member of this place creates a conflict of interest.

Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 2:24, 29 November 2017

Can I remind Members how overwhelmingly the alternative vote form of proportional representation was rejected in the referendum, and how the single transferable vote is based on 'guess how many seats you can win'? Will the Welsh Government legislate that a supermajority vote by councillors and councils of two thirds will be necessary if councils want to change their voting system?

Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour

Presiding Officer, I have already disappointed my good friend from Swansea East with my views on proportional representation; I don't propose to disappoint him again this afternoon. But, I will say to him that when we look at how we reform and deepen our democracy, I believe that we have to be bold and radical, and not conservative, and look and embrace change.

Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 2:25, 29 November 2017

Can I welcome the Cabinet Secretary to his new role? I once named you the Minister Emeritus, you may remember, and it seems you're clearly fitting with that name. [Interruption.] I never called him a boomerang. You said that.

Cabinet Secretary, the history of local government in Wales is one of reorganisation after reorganisation, reform after reform over very many years. I was very pleased when your predecessor kicked into the long grass the idea of local government reorganisation in Wales. Are you planning on revisiting that issue over the next few years? And would you agree with me that whatever you do decide or do not decide to do with local government organisation—and the electoral system that that may entail—that what local government in Wales needs is stability, so that elected officers and councillors in those authorities can get on with the job of delivering local services for local people, which they're elected to do?

Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 2:26, 29 November 2017

Yes, I do agree with that. I believe that we do require stability, but stability that is borne of a robust ability to deliver high-quality services. We heard from the WLGA last week that they do not believe that the current delivery of services is sustainable, and I think that we need to listen to those words. And, certainly, that is the consideration that I will be taking as I move forward with policy in this area.

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