What plans does the Welsh Government have to devolve more responsibilities and powers to local authorities?
The Welsh Government believes in the principle of subsidiarity – that government responsibilities should be allocated to the most local level at which they can be performed efficiently and effectively.
The establishment of four regional Corporate Joint Committees in April 2021, with a general power to promote economic well-being as well as duties to undertake regional transport and land use planning, provides considerable flexibility for developing that principle further. CJCs will support regional working across Wales and provide the foundation for future consideration of where responsibilities and powers best sit.
The devolution of powers from the Welsh Government to these new arrangements will be considered in discussion with local government, and we look forward to conversations with each region about their ambitions.
The independent constitutional commission we are setting up will also provide an opportunity to examine the distribution of power within Wales, as well as within the UK as a whole.