I'm really pleased today to speak as the Conservative spokesperson for local government, and thank you, Minister, for your introduction to the regulations outlined here today. I would first of all like to talk to item 9, the Corporate Joint Committees (General) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2021. As colleagues will be aware, these regulations are connected with the establishment of the corporate joint committees in Wales by regulation under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, which doesn't sound particularly exciting, but I assure you it is wildly exciting.

Many councillors and council leaders across Wales have huge concerns with the democratic nature of corporate joint committees. Councils and councillors, of course, are democratically elected to make decisions and represent their communities, yet the introduction of corporate joint committees is likely to take powers away from those who are democratically elected to make the decisions. I'd like to remind us all here today that devolution, of course, was introduced to bring power as close to the people as possible, and I don't believe that corporate joint committees will support this at all.

It's clear to me that Welsh Government's aim with these corporate joint committees is to take power away from those democratically elected to make those decisions. In addition to those concerns, as the Minister outlined, there are some details in the regulations here today, but there are some pertinent issues that are not being addressed or properly detailed. First of all, staffing. Secondly, the cost of all this, the funding of it. How much will it cost the taxpayer, particularly because there are going to be chief executives having to be employed and there will be chief financial officers having to be employed, amongst other auditors et cetera, et cetera? Thirdly, the representation—how it will be fairly represented by individual councils and how that will be distributed across those corporate joint committees.

Llywydd, it's not often that I do quote from the Plaid Cymru manifesto. It's also not often that I support what they are proposing. Nevertheless, I would like to take the opportunity to quote directly from the manifesto from only a few months ago, in May, which says that,

'Wales' future governance should continue to involve local, regional and national tiers in decision making and delivery at the correct levels'— all good so far, of course—

'and with clear democratic accountability to the people. To this end, we will replace Labour’s four planning regions and their corresponding undemocratic Corporate Joint Committees'.

So, in light of this, Llywydd, I would be astounded if I was to hear today that Plaid Cymru would be supporting the motions here in front of us today. They've done a sterling job and have been heroic in their opposition to corporate joint committees, and I'm sure the leaders of Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire would also be surprised to hear any objection, or any support, should I say, to the CJCs here today. [Interruption.] They didn't actually. Check the votes with the WLGA. We cannot throw local democracy and council powers under the bus, even with the co-operation agreement in place, and I'm proud that as Conservatives we're standing up for councils and democratically elected councillors.

Moving on, I'm ever the optimist, Llywydd, but not naive at the same time. I do note that item 9 is likely to get majority support here today, and, as such, we won't be objecting to items 10 to 17, because it's right that when CJCs will be in place that they are adhering to appropriate regulations, as the Minister outlined, so they can properly function within those regulations. So, to conclude, Llywydd, I would urge all Members to respect powers for local councils and vote against item 9, which introduces further these corporate joint committees. Diolch yn fawr iawn.