What impact does the Cabinet Secretary foresee that the proposals for local government reform in the current green paper will have on the work of public services boards, with particular regard to the situation should the proposed mergers go ahead?
The Green Paper stated that, if the proposals for local authority mergers were to proceed, it would make sense to move to the new footprint at an early, appropriate point in order to streamline partnership arrangements. The intention would be to make any transition to new Public Services Boards areas as smooth as possible, to enable boards to focus on making a difference in their areas. The Green Paper consultation closed on 12 June and I will be carefully considering the responses before determining the way forward.