Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 23 January 2019.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:34, 23 January 2019

It's a very interesting report. As you know, I've only been in post six weeks, so I haven't had the time, in any way, to fully—. I've skim-read it—that's the best I could do in the time I had available. I do, however, plan to read it thoroughly and to take it into account. I have a number of views of my own around town and community councils, which I'm happy to share with the Member, and with the Senedd in general. Some of them are excellent. We have examples across Wales of excellent town councils. Some of them are very far from that because they haven't got the governance strength, if you like, to be able to conduct themselves. That report is pointing that out. What we need to do is look to see whether we have the best fit for our town and community councils across Wales, whether their own communities support them, and what we can do to strengthen the governance arrangements. So, I find nothing that I disagree with, in a quick read of the report. I'm not yet in a position to respond fully to it. But I will tell the Member that I will be responding fully to it, and it raises a number of issues that I have myself personal concerns with, from previous experience in life.