5. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:33 pm on 29 April 2020.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 5:33, 29 April 2020

Yes, and I'm very happy to give it, Lynne. We're very keen to make sure that, when we put the recovery provisions in place they are operationally doable and feasible, and that local authorities will be able to cope with that in terms of capacity, and what we're asking is both practical and realistic, because otherwise it doesn’t work.

I have a very regular telephone conversation with all 22 leaders in which we discuss all of these issues arising, and I've been making absolutely certain that the WLGA and its officers are involved in co-producing anything that happens. We have had the occasional blip where we've been wrong-footed by something happening, because this is a very fast-moving environment, but we've always been able to correct that and make sure that local authorities are in the loop, and that what we're designing is both practical and deliverable. So, I couldn’t agree more, and I absolutely do give you that assurance that they are now, and will be in the future, completely involved in designing anything that we come up with.