What plans does the Welsh Government have to devolve 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 (CJCs) 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. They support regional working across Wales and provide the foundation for future consideration of where responsibilities and powers best sit.
The devolution of powers and responsibilities from the Welsh Government to these new arrangements will be considered in discussion with local government. Ministerial colleagues and I will shortly be meeting collectively with the Chairs and Vice Chairs of CJCs to further discuss expectations and ambitions for regional working. It is for local government to come forward with proposals to the relevant portfolio ministers, should they want additional functions to be devolved to them.
The OECD project we have commissioned on strengthening strategic and administrative capacity for delivering regional development policy is supporting local authorities to work with each other at a regional level. The OECD is working with each of the four CJCs and Welsh Government to support a more integrated approach to regional policy.
We are also looking to empower local authorities to raise a visitor levy within their areas. This would be a new levy which local authorities would be able to choose to use or not, rather than a devolution of power. I will be making an announcement later this month regarding outcomes and next steps for the visitor levy proposals, following the consultation which closed last December.
The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales has a broad remit. Its Interim Report, published in December 2022, highlighted the importance of decisions being taken as closely as possible to the people they affect. I look forward to considering the Commission’s recommendations on this matter when its Final Report is published before the end of this year.