The Impact of Automation

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 2:56 pm on 29 November 2017.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 2:56, 29 November 2017

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, and can I welcome you to your new role? The most recent Public Policy Institute for Wales report for the Welsh Government predicts that a third of Welsh jobs are projected to be impacted by automation, but would the Cabinet Secretary agree that automation isn't something to try and halt; it's something to try and harness? These advances in technology present opportunities for public sector innovation and improvements in service delivery, freeing up people from routine tasks to deliver better public services. But, of course, there are private sector companies trying to tout it as a way of cutting jobs. So, to avoid hard-pressed councils from taking an ad hoc approach, would the Cabinet Secretary agree that a strategic approach is needed? And will he commit to a review of how local authorities can be supported to use automation for the improvement of public services and ensure they are equipped to meet the challenges ahead?