Thank you for your statement, Minister, and I also thank you for providing us with an advance copy of the working group's recommendations. While it's clear that much work has been done on setting the agenda for reform, there has been, actually, very little reform. Minister, do you accept that the current model for local government is unsustainable, and considering the state of public finances, we need reform sooner rather than later?

A new sub-committee is being set up within the partnership council. So, when will you be able to share the full remit of the sub-group, and, more importantly, what, if any, will the timescales be that they will work to? If you accept the premise that there are far too many local authorities doing things differently, which it appears that you do, given the drive to create greater regional working, then you must accept the urgency for change given the cuts to essential services and rising council tax bills.

The public, our residents, are concerned about what they get for their money. When they pay their council tax, what are they getting back? So, Minister, how do you answer the allegations that this is simply a re-imaging of the old county council system and that this will not lead to better public services and savings for taxpayers? 

The public, our constituents, demand a greater pace of change. This has been talked about now for nearly two decades, and we're still not much closer to reform. So, Minister, when will we actually see change in local government? What is the timescale? We need action now rather than words. Thank you.