Community Empowerment

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 8 March 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 2:09, 8 March 2022

First Minister, I've heard what you've been saying to Mark Isherwood. I wonder if I could press you more on this sense of not just empowerment, but communities' sense of empowerment, because the IWA report that Mark Isherwood has referred to does make for sobering reading in terms of how unempowered, then, communities feel. The evidence that they have gathered has found that there are nearly universally negative views about the situation in Wales. And, again, I take on board the points that you've been saying, First Minister, but in terms of finding that link with communities, in terms of having this sense of empowerment and what is possible, I'd be really interested to hear your views.

We've heard as well that Scottish communities since 2001 have had funding available to take control of assets; legislation has been available there since 2003. In England the Localism Act does empower community groups. And the statutory rights and the funds aren't available in the same way in Wales. Again, whether a community is empowered or not is only really, truly, in a meaningful sense important if they feel that empowerment. So, could I ask, how do you think that that link could be made more so that communities feel the sense of empowerment in the same way in Wales, please?