Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 3:10 pm on 10 February 2021.
Well, as Nick Ramsay says, the details haven't yet been clarified, so I don't know if I can agree with his assessment that it will put power into the hands of more local people and make that decision making as close to the ground as possible. Welsh Government has developed its regional framework for investment, and that was published in November following three years of engagement, collaboration and consultation. And we were clear that our priority areas would be more productive and competitive businesses, reducing the factors that lead to economic inequality, supporting the transition to a zero-carbon economy, and healthier, fairer and more sustainable communities. And we absolutely see local authorities as being key partners in that. And the local government and WLGA were really actively involved in the development of our framework and are represented on the steering committee that has guided that work for three years. So, local authorities should play an important role in future in terms of regional development, and I hope that we're able to do so within that framework that we've been developing here in Wales.