Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 3:03 pm on 13 June 2018.
I fear, Presiding Officer, that there might be a bit too much agreement between myself and the Conservative frontbench on some of these matters. I'm very much in favour of the devolution of additional powers and responsibilities to local government; it's what I want to see. I want to see more powers held locally and more accountability locally. The Conservative leader will remember one of my first actions after my appointment was to write to all leaders of Welsh local government and to all Members here asking what powers they believed should be devolved to local government and what powers they would want to see held locally. Personally, I would like to see a more strategic and a more generous view of the powers that should be held locally. I'm attracted by models of government where local communities and counties—for lack of a better term—are able to take very significant decisions, and are able to pursue approaches that are appropriate to that locality and the communities they represent.
The Conservative leader will be aware that the Cabinet Secretary for the economy has published an economic action plan that does actually empower regions of Wales to act in this way. I see that as part of a process by which we do empower different regions and different parts of the country to take exactly the decisions that you've mentioned as well. The Member for Anglesey made a very similar point, in many ways, about regional working. The point I will make back to you in all seriousness is that you can't simply build castles on sand. If we don't have the structures and the fundamental building blocks, which are sustainable local authorities, then all that regional working will come to nothing, because we won't be able to sustain the services. So, for me, we do need to go through a process of reform and change, and when we have done that, we will be able to deliver the sort of devolution of responsibilities and powers that the Conservative leader has described and others have described today as well.