6. What discussions is the Minister having with local authorities about the use of local government reserves? OQ58793

I have discussed local authority reserves with leaders as part of our ongoing discussions on pressures and funding. All leaders have stressed that they are already using reserves to manage their current pressures and expect to continue to have to do so next year. 

This one has been around the Chamber already several times this afternoon, Minister. We've even had Leighton Andrews's name used this afternoon as well—the ghost of Christmas past. But, if we could try and think of the use of these reserves, because, as I understand it and as previous questions have highlighted, there's been a 35 per cent increase in these reserves, and local taxpayers will be aghast at that jump in those reserves to £2.7 billion when they're starting to see their own council tax demands coming in the new year. So, as finance Minister, will you do all you can to make sure that there isn't any squirrelling away in county halls and that ultimately these reserves will be put to best use so that council tax can be kept to a minimum in the new year and it'll pay their contribution with the cost-of-living pressures that people are feeling in their household budgets?

Just to repeat what I said to colleagues earlier in relation to discussions I've been having with local government, they absolutely recognise the need to use those reserves both this year to manage some of the pressures, but also next year as well. I'm frankly relieved that local authorities are in a better financial position to enter the difficult period ahead, particularly when you compare them to their counterparts across the border in England, who have had funding stripped away from them back to the absolute bone over recent years. I'm sure that authorities in England would much prefer to be in a position where they do have at least some reserves to take them into the next year. That said, I absolutely recognise what has been said about the situation not being equal across Wales. It does vary from authority to authority. There are some authorities that do have smaller reserves and will obviously have less ability to call on those reserves in difficult times.