The Local Government Settlement for Pembrokeshire County Council

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 3:02 pm on 21 March 2018.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 3:02, 21 March 2018

(Translated)

Of course, if I were to move from Ceredigion to Pembrokeshire I would save £300 per annum straight away, but I would live in a county where a national intervention has been required by the Welsh Government in terms of children’s issues and education, and where there have been a number of failings over the past few years because of decisions taken locally to keep council tax low, not just in terms of the whole of Dyfed, but for the whole of Wales—the lowest possible council tax across Wales. And there is a price to pay in terms of the underinvestment that there’s been over the past few years. The council has now taken the decision, and, like you, I support the decision taken both ways—it's a local decision. They’ve taken the decision to increase council tax substantially. My question to you is: do you see this as part of a plan to move the county council to a more central position in the range of council tax that we see in Wales? Is this a one-off that won’t truly tackle the problems that the county council has, or is this something that they are discussing with you as something that will work over the next two or three years to re-establish the best services that local people deserve to have in Pembrokeshire?