Issue - meetings

(a)       That the briefing report be received;

(b)       That Council notes the constitutional and other implications of the Act, and supports internal plans for their implementation as necessary; and

(c)        That Council is not supportive of proposals for CJCs as they currently stand and reiterates the comments made in the response to the WG appended to the report and requests that any further regulations meet the tests as set out in the response to the consultation

The Chief Executive introduced a report on the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill.  He advised that the Bill had received Royal Assent and was now an Act.  The purpose of the report was to highlight the key contents of the Act and for Council to note the constitutional implications  (for example electoral reform,  Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs), and public participation) and other implications (for example creation of a Governance & Audit Committee) and the internal plans for  implementation.  The Chief Executive advised that whilst some of the changes were immediate there was no timetable as yet for the Welsh Government (WG) to introduce others.  He provided a brief update on CJCs and said the Authority’s response was appended to the report, and electoral reform and asked the Chief Officer (Governance) to present the report.

            The Chief Officer provided background information and advised that subject to commencement the Authority must implement the Act in the best way it could to suit local circumstances.  He reported on the key areas of the Act, as detailed in the report, which required Council to make a decision, and which would affect members directly or be relevant to their strategic role.   The Chief Officer explained that he had established a working group to schedule an implementation plan for the Act and would submit periodic reports to members on progress.

Councillor Ian Roberts moved the recommendations in the report with the amendment that the Local Government & Elections Bill was now an Act.  Councillor Roberts said he welcomed the changes brought in by the Act regarding the electoral franchise which enabled 16 and 17 year olds to vote for the first time in National Assembly elections and County and Community/Town Council elections scheduled for May 2022, and  improving public accessibility to local government meetings.  Councillor Roberts expressed concerns over the scrutiny arrangements for  Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) and, referring to the creation of a Governance & Audit Committee, also expressed concern that a Member would not chair the  Committee and commented on the increasing influence of lay members.

Councillor Carolyn Thomas seconded the recommendations.  She said she had also raised concerns over the creation of CJCs and referred to the Authority’s response to the WG consultation document on CJCs which was appended to the report.

Councillor Chris Bithell concurred with the views expressed by Councillor Ian Roberts on the Governance & Audit Committee and expressed further concerns  over the option to change the voting system for local elections in the future.

Councillor Richard Jones expressed concerns on the creation of CJCs and scrutiny arrangements.  Referring to previous consideration on CJCs he asked if any further consultations had taken place between 28 January 2020 and 18 November 2020 and was the WG consultation document on CJCs considered by Cabinet on 15 December 2020 of any value if the WG had made a decision to pass the Bill on 18 November. 

Councillor Tudor Jones commented on the extension of the franchise to 16 year olds and foreign citizens under electoral reforms.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53