Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 14 October 2020.
Diolch, Llywydd. Last week, Audit Wales published two reports regarding local government in Wales. The report on 'Financial Sustainability of Local Government as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic' said that, in the first six months of this year, councils in Wales recorded financial costs of £325 million due to the pandemic and, whilst this has been largely offset by the Welsh Government's local government hardship fund, the report cites figures from the Welsh Local Government Association estimating that, by 2022-23, councils will be facing budget pressures of approximately £600 million. The Auditor General for Wales suggested that some councils were better placed than others to deal with the financial impacts of the crisis, where, overall, they hold usable reserves of around £1.1 billion, as in March this year, but this varies widely: Rhondda Cynon Taf, over £119 million in useable reserves, to Conwy, around £14 million, and Blaenau Gwent, around £12 million. How, therefore, do you respond to the report's statement that, whilst the financial support provided by the Welsh Government has largely offset the immediate financial concerns, it may be the case that councils have to increasingly use their reserves should the financial impact continue over future years? And how will you address the inequality in the ability across councils to do this?