Will the Minister confirm when the review into democratic procedures in local government, as committed by the previous Minister responsible for local government and as required by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, is likely to happen?
During the passage of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 concerns were raised about the level of support provided to non-executive members of principal councils, including the tabling of a non-Government amendment with the aim of requiring principal councils to ‘make arrangements to provide a research and advice service to its members’.
The Welsh Government could not support this as the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (the Measure) provides the functions of the Head of Democratic Services includes the provision of advice and support to members, which is intended to include a research service. The Measure also provides that principal councils are required to provide their Head of Democratic Services with staff, accommodation and other resources that, in its opinion, will allow them to discharge their functions.
However, the then Minister for Housing and Local Government committed to exploring the potential of issuing guidance in relation to this matter and introduced an amendment to require principal councils to have regard to any guidance issued by the Welsh Ministers in relation to the provision of resources to their Head of Democratic Services.
This work is about to commence and I would welcome members input into it and will provide further details of how to participate as the work progresses.