Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how he intends to implement, through Welsh legislation, those elements of The Localism Act 2011 which English communities enjoy and which have not yet been introduced here in Wales?
The Localism Act 2011 covered many issues including the openness and transparency of local government. These are principles which the Welsh Government takes seriously and where the provisions in the Localism Act were felt to be appropriate for Wales they have been implemented, for example, pay policy guidance and statements.
As you will be aware, I am currently consulting on local government reform through the White Paper: “Reforming Local Government: Resilient and Renewed”. It covers much of the policy area included within the Localism Act but from a Welsh perspective. We will pursue our own programme of reform including a requirement for local authorities to prepare participation strategies and giving Welsh local authorities a General Power of Competence, a policy much supported by local government itself.