The National Assembly for Wales' Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee believes that the proposed restructuring of Local Government must be 'sustainable and enduring' if it is to be truly effective in the long term.
Although the Local Government (Wales) Bill is the result of an extensive process involving public engagement and consultation, the Committee believes it is important that the Welsh Government ensures on-going engagement with the public as part of the restructuring programme, and that every opportunity for meaningful community consultation is provided in advance of the proposals being formulised.
Christine Chapman AM Chair of the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee said:
"We are mindful that the proposed restructure will be the third to have taken place within a period of fewer than fifty years.
"This makes it all the more important to ensure that the outcome is a sustainable and enduring structure. Anything less could mean the need for further, untimely structural reform.
"We are concerned that the limited time available to meet the Welsh Government's timetable for reform, and the need for political compromise in order to make progress, could result in a settlement which may not be as robust as it could otherwise be.
"We reiterate that the principal consideration that should drive structural reform is the need to create a sustainable structure that is both fit for purpose and capable of delivering the Government's wider aspirations for the future of local government in Wales."
Report by the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee on the Local Government (Wales) Bill: Stage 1, PDF (675 KB)