I think if you actually cast your mind back further, I can remember when Ronnie Hughes was the leader, and he did that kind of tactic. What I can tell you is that the previous leader of Conwy County Borough Council actually fought for five years of their being in Cabinet to actually try and be more prudent, and actually I supported absolutely the fact that they were able to not fleece our residents like Plaid Cymru, Labour and the independents are doing. 

Monmouthshire has seen a 9.3 per cent increase and both the Vale of Glamorgan and Newport 8.9 per cent. This is a fair share from the Welsh Government. And then Conwy had just 7.3 per cent. So it will come as no surprise to see that the Plaid Cymru, Labour and independent council in Conwy have now actually implemented the highest council tax increase in England and Wales. So I say shame on them. It's the steepest increase of anywhere and this now presents a worrying burden on many hard-pressed working families. The cold, hard reality is that council tax for a band D property will rise to £1,580. And on point that Mike Hedges has also made, they often quote band D, don't they? Well, I have to be honest, in the ward that I live in and I represent on Conwy council, I have to say that there are many properties in bands E, F and G. So, when we're actually looking at how much extra, it actually looks pretty bad. 

Growth in regular pay among employees in Great Britain was at 6.4 per cent in September, so there is absolutely no reason to justify a 9.9 per cent rise, and while inflation has hit all levels of Government, it has also resulted in an escalating cost-of-living crisis for local residents across the local authority area. Wales Fiscal Analysis estimated that council tax funded approximately 20.4 per cent of revenue expenditure in 2019-20, up from 13.8 per cent in 2009-10. So rather than taking action on wasteful spending or management, the council expects local council tax payers to foot this bill.

A full review of the funding formula is what we raised when I was shadow Minister for local government for seven years here. You take somewhere like Aberconwy; we are disproportionately affected now because, obviously, we have an older population, and with that comes the social care needs. And I always remember being told, 'Oh, well no other council leaders want this funding formula to be looked at'. It was actually introduced in 1991, we're now in 2023, and I actually do think, Minister, at some stage it is worth that effort. It will be hard work and effort, and you won't please everybody, but I do think you need to make the funding formula much more fair. 

The other thing that Councillor Sam Rowlands has mentioned today is the huge surpluses and balances that some local authorities are able to actually hold on to. There's a 7 per cent increase for social care in Aberconwy, and yet—. I don't know if it's Rhondda Cynon Taf or Torfaen, but one of them is 25 per cent. We cannot have these inconsistencies. We talk a lot here about social responsibility and equality, and I would just say now: look at the £2 billion that's in reserves in those local authorities, and where they are not proving that they can spend it on an annual basis, I think you should be looking at clawing it back and redistributing it. Thank you. Diolch.