Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 25 September 2018.
And increasingly so, people are buying freehold accommodation and being forced to pay these charges to private companies on top of their council tax to maintain their estates. In Cwm Calon in Ystrad Mynach in my constituency, Meadfleet, the estate management company there, have announced that the charges are going to rise per six months from £61 to £78, and there is nothing—nothing—anyone can do about it. It's totally beyond democratic control. Ten years ago, Barnet Council became known as the EasyJet council, whereby people pay extra for their services, on top of their council tax, for so-called additional services. It's now known as the outsource council. Well, estate management charges are outsourcing by stealth, but at least with EasyJet you can choose whether you pay for overpriced peanuts. What more can the Government do?