Local Council Funding

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 2 February 2021.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:05, 2 February 2021

Because the formula has such wide anomalies, it needs a Government to take leadership, because you can never have agreement between winners and losers within the WLGA. Under your Welsh Government's provisional local government settlement, north Wales councils are again losing out with an average 3.4 per cent increase compared to 4.1 per cent in south Wales and 5.6 per cent for top place, Newport, and as we heard, Wrexham receiving just 2.3 per cent. However, Conwy, which again receives a below-average increase, has the highest proportion of its population in the oldest age group of all Welsh counties, with Anglesey also receiving a below-average increase not far behind in third position out of 22, and every north Wales county having a higher proportion of its population in the oldest age group than Newport—second from bottom—and Cardiff, bottom. How can your formula justify this, despite the weekly statements and protestations in this Senedd highlighting the rights and needs of older people and the need to meet and fund these?