What will be the relationship between the proposed corporate joint committees (CJCs) established under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and the Local Authority Joint Committees which support City and Growth Deals, especially in relation to the economic development functions of the proposed CJCs?
The Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) which will be established through the regulations I laid on 23 February will have a power to promote the economic wellbeing of their areas. The members of each CJC will provide strategic leadership across the areas of economic development, land use planning and regional transport to maximise the opportunities for their region.
While there is no requirement to move from the use of Joint Committees to CJCs as the governance vehicles for the City and Growth Deals, and it is something for each region to decide, I believe there would be benefits in doing so.
In contrast to other joint committee structures, Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) will be separate corporate bodies which can directly employ staff, hold assets and budgets, and be directly responsible for exercising functions. The majority of responses to the recent consultation on the Establishment Regulations for CJCs stated that this feature will deliver benefits over and above current arrangements.
CJCs will also enable the rationalisation of regional arrangements into one governance structure. Local Authorities are not required to include regional economic development, or the City or Growth Deals, in their CJC unless it would make sense to do so. However, I have been clear it will be for the Leaders of the constituent councils to consider the relationship between the CJC and the City and Growth Deals and to decide whether they wish to combine or merge the existing arrangements into their CJC.
I am working closely with all Local Authority Leaders, including through the existing City and Growth Deal arrangements, to support them in the establishment of their CJCs. My officials have also begun discussions with City and Growth Deal programme teams to offer support throughout the establishment period and to help ensure that CJCs support the unique ambitions of each region.