Local Government

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 15 June 2021.

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Photo of Sam Rowlands Sam Rowlands Conservative 2:23, 15 June 2021

Diolch, Llywydd. I was struggling with the mute button there.

Thank you, First Minister, for your response to that point. I too would like to praise the work of councils specifically through this very difficult time of the pandemic. I know from my own experience the sacrifice, hard work and dedication that council staff have shown through this crisis, and they of course deserve a lot of credit, right from our recycling crews through to our librarians, social care workers, right through to our teaching assistants, all of whom have gone above and beyond. In light of this exceptional demonstration of delivering for our communities, this again surely shows that, rather than decision making being withdrawn from local authorities into regional bodies through things like corporate joint committee, actually, more should be decentralised and devolved from Cardiff to councils. So, aside from your previous reference to a tourism tax, what plans do you have to show further commitment to our councils and communities by devolving more power and financial support to them?