Thank you. We now move to spokespeople's questions. The first spokesperson this afternoon is the UKIP spokesperson, Gareth Bennett.

Thank you, Dirprwy Llywydd. Minister, we've had the issue of homelessness in the news a lot lately. This tends to become a big topic as we approach Christmas every year, but, more significantly, we've also had the latest annual empty homes figures, which show a rise in Wales from an estimated 23,000 empty homes a year ago to 25,000 homes now. So, despite the Welsh Government's Houses into Homes initiative, the empty homes situation does seem to be getting worse. What do you think your Government can do to improve this situation?

I thank you for the question. The issue of empty homes is an issue of concern for the Welsh Government. There have been, as you say, some good projects delivered under our empty homes project in particular, but it is an opportunity, really, to look right across our opportunities for regeneration to see how we can turn, for example, empty shops in our high streets into homes. That's something that we're pursuing through our town centre loan scheme, for example. It's something that's been part of our Vibrant and Viable Places project, but could, in the future, form part of our targeted regeneration investment programme. That's a new programme launched in October of last year, which is a £100 million of investment in regeneration. So, I'm keen that, whenever we are thinking about regeneration, we're also thinking in the context of home building and particularly turning empty properties back into homes.

Yes. Thanks for the answer. I think an holistic approach, as you've advocated, would be good, but I think you need to keep on top of the empty homes situation as a specific issue. Now, in terms of increasing housing supply in other ways, I know that you and Mark Drakeford, the Finance Minister, have been having discussions over a possible vacant land tax. Could you give us any update on the Government's progress on this issue, and how do you think this might help the housing situation if you do agree to proceed with that tax?

Well, this is certainly one of those four areas of a potential future Welsh tax that Welsh Government has been considering and has been subject to a poll undertaken by the Welsh Treasury to understand the views that people might have on this as one of the potential four. Obviously, you wouldn't expect me to make any announcement on the way forward today, because it is still a matter for discussion, and I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance will be able to provide an update to Members as soon as he's able to do so.

Yes, thanks. I appreciate that it's still a work in progress and, of course, it cuts across the finance Minister's portfolio, so I look forward to an update in due course. So, perhaps instead of me pursuing that issue, I could go back to the empty homes problem. Councils in Wales also have the power to take control of empty homes through empty dwelling management orders. Now, the figures show that these orders are hardly being used in Wales at the moment. Is there a case, do you think, that councils should now be guided into using these powers more often?

The way in which the councils generally approach the issue of empty homes tends to be, in the first instance, to try and work with the owner of the property in order to bring that home back into use. But then, if that fails, the empty dwelling management orders are there for local authorities to avail themselves of and I would encourage them to do so if they feel that it is appropriate to do. There are areas of good practice where local authorities are working with the owners of properties. For example, in Swansea, the local authority will work with owners in order to bring a property back into use by providing them with a loan in order to refurbish the property to the necessary standard, but then also guarantee that they will have a secure tenant for two years or more as a result of that. So, I think there are opportunities for local authorities to learn from one another and to explore the good practice that is being undertaken. I'm also keen that local authorities consider as well whether or not to increase the council tax on second homes. That's an option that local authorities can and do take and I think it is a sensible way in order to try and prevent second homes taking over some villages—as we do have a situation in Wales—and that people who do own those homes do contribute to the local area.

We now move to the Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.

As this is the first time I have questioned you in your new role as the Cabinet Secretary for local government, may I congratulate you and wish you well? I would like to ask you first what sort of style you will adopt in your new role.

I'm grateful to the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for her kind words at the beginning of our new relationship. I'm not sure that I've ever considered myself as someone who has any sort of style in any way. I may be wrong. The tone I want to adopt in the discussions that I've already started with councillors and council leaders across the country is a tone of respect towards councillors and councils in terms of the work that they do. I said during the debate that we had yesterday on the local government settlement that councillors and council leaders undertake some of the most difficult jobs in Welsh politics at the moment.

I was brought up in a home where public services were discussed around the dinner table. My father worked for Tredegar Urban District Council, Blaenau Gwent Borough Council and then Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, and therefore the services provided by councils are something that I was brought up with. I respect the work that's being done, and I respect the workers that are doing that work.

I agree with you that the relationship that you develop with the leaders of different councils and authorities is key. Your predecessor took the approach of collaboration, with a relationship built on the basis of respect, even though there are tensions that sometimes exist between the Government and local authorities. But that wasn't always true, looking at former Ministers in your party. I remember, when I was a cabinet member in Gwynedd Council, I had experience of one of your predecessors who used the style of an angry headteacher with a cane. Now, that sort of style is never going to get things done.

The regionalisation of services is an example of where there is a need to tread carefully, of course, and maintain this important relationship with local authorities. But there is also an approach that needs to be important as well in terms of regionalisation, which is accountability. Even though I support the efforts to ensure that services are run more strategically and are more effective, I am concerned about this approach and losing that accountability. How are you going to ensure that this new level of governance is going to be accountable to councillors and, more importantly perhaps, to the electorate?

I agree with the Plaid Cymru spokesperson in her analysis—perhaps not every single word of it, but certainly the main thrust of her message. I understand that. May I say this? I think it's important that we find a balance. This is a discussion I had this morning, as it happens, not just with the leader of Torfaen, who's already been mentioned, but also the leader of Caerphilly, about the tension that exists between ensuring that services are provided at a strategic level, but also ensuring that the way that we deliver services acknowledges the importance of place, and the importance of collaboration with those people who are in receipt of the services. So, there is a tension there on occasion, and we must ensure that we do have services that are delivered at a level that is strategic, robust and that will maintain services of the highest possible quality, but are also accountable and can respond to very localised needs. At the moment, I'm considering where we are in terms of our policy. We know that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has worked very hard to put in place a new and different vision for local government. I will now be using or drawing upon the work done by the Cabinet Secretary as a foundation to moving forward in ensuring that we can deliver the kind of high-quality services that we all want to see, and in ensuring that that is sustainable for the longer term.

I look forward, therefore, to seeing how exactly you're going to sustain that important accountability, which is what I was asking about.

Turning now to the electoral system and the White Paper on local government reform, it notes that reforming the electoral system to the single transferable vote would not be mandatory to all councils in Wales and that councils would have a choice to bring it forward or not. In my view, that is a mistake. It would enable some local authorities not to move towards real representation for political reasons, perhaps, or self-interest, or whatever reason. Will you consider that, therefore, and ensure that reforming the electoral system to STV is mandatory for all local authorities in Wales?

The Member is tempting me to get onto very dangerous ground here. May I just say that my personal view as an individual is that I support STV? I think that is the system that provides the greatest accountability and provides a fair vote to everyone across the nation—in this place, in local government, and, frankly, in Westminster, too. But I'm not sure that in saying that I represent the views of everyone on these benches and everyone in this Chamber. So, I do intend to proceed with changes in electoral arrangements. I have asked for permission to make an oral statement on that on 30 January, when I will make a clear statement on our way forward in terms of electoral reform for local government in the future.

Cabinet Secretary, this year we celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the suffragette movement's success in obtaining true equality for women by means of securing the vote. We also celebrate—well, we should be able to celebrate—48 years of the Equal Pay Act 1970, yet here in Wales it is paid lip service only. We still see disgraceful equal pay gaps present within Welsh public services—not only at the heart of Welsh Government, but also in local government. Now, I have been chasing this issue for quite some time now, since I became aware of it. But the fact of the matter is, as I stand here today, we still have 92 equal pay claims outstanding. Now, that is an appalling set of events. I have to say, it was up in the hundreds when I first started raising this in the Senedd here, and some authorities have been made aware that this is not acceptable. But I have to tell you that Ynys Môn and Swansea are among the highest. These women deserve this money; it is their money. And at the moment, the back and forwards that is happening between lawyers holding out on these women, who have already earned this money, and the money should be theirs—. Now, I also note that the Welsh Government's strategic equality plan, back in 2012, committed the Welsh Government to work with partners to identify and address the causes of the gender, ethnicity and disability pay and employment differences. Cabinet Secretary, with respect to our local authorities and their leaders, what efforts are you taking to stamp out this really bad practice of inequality and ensure that these women get their just deserts and the pay that they are due?

I agree with the whole of her question, and at risk of simply repeating her own words, I think we do celebrate 100 years since the beginning of extending the franchise to everybody in this country. I've already spoken to a Minister at the Cabinet Office about UK Government plans to celebrate that anniversary, and certainly the Welsh Government will wish to support and take part in that celebration as well. Part of what we're seeking to do, as I said in an answer to Siân Gwenllian, is that we want to continue to extend the franchise, we want to continue to deepen and enrich our democracy and how people are encouraged and enabled to participate in that democracy. At the heart of Siân Gwenllian's question was accountability. Accountability, for me, is best delivered through the ballot box. What we have to ensure is that the ballot box is at the heart of our democracy and how we encourage and enable people to participate within it.

But in terms of equal pay, I've nothing to add to the points that you make in your question, and the observations you make. It is an appalling reflection on our system that women are still waiting for these matters to be resolved. It is appalling that anybody would not be paid an equal rate for the job. We're seeing a debate taking place in the BBC at the moment. You'd have thought they would know better. I hope that they reflect on what has been said over the last few weeks particularly, and I hope also that, as we continue to develop our policy—. The Minister for Housing and Regeneration spoke, in answer to an earlier question, about Wales as a fair work nation. I believe that fair work is essential for everybody, and that means a fair and equal rate for the job. We value our public service workers—we value all our public service workers, male and female—and they all deserve a fair living wage for the commitment that they make to our communities.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for a respectful and considerate response. Another issue I've had to raise, sadly, is about the secrecy that takes place within some local authorities in terms of the democratic proceedings and how the press and public are restricted from those. Now, I'm really proud to be an Assembly Member and part of this institution, when transparency and allowing the public to view our proceedings—. They can go on Senedd.tv and see them. But the fact of the matter is that we are still seeing—and you'll see the release that we've put out today. We've taken the figures now of the times that members of the public and the press are excluded during very important decision making within local authorities. Last year, Bridgend excluded the public in 93 per cent of its meetings, Conwy in 81 per cent, and Merthyr Tydfil 71 per cent. I might add that, with Conwy, of course, it was the previous administration. Now, decisions made at a local level have such a direct impact on the lives, jobs, homes and locality of our residents, and such secrecy and lack of participation, engagement and enablement is a real concern. Now, looking at your Welsh Government record for local government—and I don't blame you for this one iota—the responsibility for this portfolio has changed hands no less than five times in six years. Fundamentally, this Welsh Labour Government refuses to get a handle on the issues that matter most to those so largely dependent on the delivery of much-needed vital local services. So, Cabinet Secretary, how will you get a grasp on this portfolio and champion efficient financial probity, greater transparency and true democratic accountability?

I'm interested, Deputy Presiding Officer, in the point she makes about the public being excluded from meetings. Members may be interested to know that I took the opportunity to attend full council in Blaenau Gwent last Thursday morning when I was in my constituency, and I was asked to leave the meeting at one point whilst they debated and discussed issues from which the public were excluded. Now, I take it in good faith and in trust that they are doing so for the right reasons and debate and discuss issues that should rightly be conducted in private. It is, I think, incumbent upon all of us who exercise public responsibilities to do so in a way that is transparent and open to encourage and enhance and root democracy, which we all care about.

The Member asks a number of somewhat related questions. In terms of the wider issues about transparency and accountability, for me, accountability is about being able to remove people and to hold people to account, where they fail or where they don't deliver. Now, it's not a matter for me to comment on cabinet appointments, but it is a matter for me to be put at ease that the frameworks that we have for local government provide a level of transparency, openness and accountability. For that we need simplicity in terms of our structures and our processes and our procedures. I hope that we can work together. I don't think there's a—. Siân Gwenllian talked about a tension between Welsh Government and local government in her questions, but I hope that we can all agree a set of important basic principles upon which we will operate. Trust, respect, openness, transparency, and a commitment to real partnership and collaboration is what I think local government wants from this Government, it's what this Government offers local government, and I think it's what both local government and Welsh Government have to demonstrate to our electorate. 

Thank you. You are doing really well so far. Keep it up. More than one of your predecessors pledged—

You can do really well by just asking the question because you're four minutes over time.

More than one of your predecessors pledged to introduce webcasting of council meetings and, in doing so, provided £40,000 to each local authority. I have received representations from residents in Conwy, across north Wales and beyond, from as far as the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Cynon Taf, who are concerned that they are unable to access the democratic decision-making processes as council and cabinet meetings are not available via the webcasting systems that your Government has actually provided the funding for. Going forward with the proposed local government Bill, can you confirm for us today—. I know that Mark Drakeford AM, your immediate predecessor, did pledge to make webasting a mandatory requirement. Will you stick to that in any future local government reform?

I certainly will. I'm looking across at the Cabinet Secretary, hoping that he's going to indicate in some way that he did make that commitment [Laughter.] He is. On the basis of that, I reiterate that commitment from the point of view of the Government today.