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Williams Commission report calls for fewer councils Williams Commission report calls for fewer councils
(35 minutes later)
Councils in Wales should merge leaving 10, 11 or 12 local authorities rather than the current 22, a report has recommended.Councils in Wales should merge leaving 10, 11 or 12 local authorities rather than the current 22, a report has recommended.
The Williams Commission said the changes must be agreed by Easter this year at the latest.The Williams Commission said the changes must be agreed by Easter this year at the latest.
The re-organisation suggests reducing council numbers by mergers using existing boundaries. The reorganisation suggests reducing council numbers by mergers using existing boundaries.
Opposition AMs say they are concerned about the potential costs and loss of local identity in some areas. Opposition AMs have said they are concerned about the potential costs and loss of local identity in some areas.
The report, by former NHS Wales chief executive Paul Williams, considers how many areas of public services can be improved and made more accountable.The report, by former NHS Wales chief executive Paul Williams, considers how many areas of public services can be improved and made more accountable.
Attention is focused on the recommendations for local authorities, last re-organised two decades ago. Attention is focused on the recommendations for local authorities, last reorganised two decades ago.
The report recommends that the new councils should be within current health board and police force areas and also not cross the geographical areas governing eligibility for EU aid.The report recommends that the new councils should be within current health board and police force areas and also not cross the geographical areas governing eligibility for EU aid.
"Change must be implemented quickly and decisively, with full commitment and strong leadership at all levels," the report said.
"We have reflected very carefully on our findings and conclusions on this issue. We are well aware that what we propose will incur costs, and will be disruptive and controversial - but we are convinced that doing nothing would be worse."
The report has concluded that, as a minimum, the following local authorities should merge:The report has concluded that, as a minimum, the following local authorities should merge:
With Carmarthenshire, Powys and Swansea unchanged, this would yield 12 authorities.With Carmarthenshire, Powys and Swansea unchanged, this would yield 12 authorities.
Using these mergers as building blocks, the report said, there are other viable possibilities resulting in 11 or 10 local authorities. Using these mergers as building blocks, the report said, there were other viable possibilities resulting in 11 or 10 local authorities.
Swansea could merge Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend to form a single local authority, giving 11 local authorities in total. Swansea could merge with Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend to form a single local authority, giving 11 local authorities in total.
That single local authority would serve a relatively large population, although there are more populous local authorities in both England and Scotland. This arrangement would support current growth of a vibrant economy along the M4 corridor. That single local authority would serve a relatively large population, although there are more populous local authorities in both England and Scotland. This arrangement would support current growth of a vibrant economy along the M4 corridor, said the report.
It is also an option to merge Carmarthenshire with Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to form a single local authority, again yielding 11 local authorities in total.
"While this area has some things in common in economic, demographic and linguistic terms it is also geographically very large and diverse," the report said.
It added delivering services across such an area and generating fair and effective democratic governance would be "challenging".
The report said reorganisation would lead to costs.
"But we are able to forecast that the costs of merger could be recouped from the recurring savings in between 18 and 30 months if the programme is effectively managed and led, and that annual savings beyond that would be very significant," the report said.
"Meeting the costs of change is a matter for the Welsh government to determine, but we believe that any funding model should reflect the fact that reform will benefit the whole public sector, not just smaller local authorities."
It said there was evidence of "excessive costs and overheads" in smaller organisations when looking at data for corporate management overheads, and for unit costs and service volumes in waste management and highways.
"We found clear and significant evidence of economies of scale," the report said.
"For instance, smaller local authorities typically pay up to £50 more per citizen in corporate and democratic costs than larger ones. In each case, if the unit costs of all local authorities were reduced to the levels of the largest, the annual savings would run into tens of millions of pounds."
The report said: "We believe this represents the minimum viable level of change."The report said: "We believe this represents the minimum viable level of change."
In an interview for the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme, First Minister Carwyn Jones said the existing number of 22 local authorities was "too many". Responding to the report, First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "I'd like to thank Sir Paul Williams and the commission for their hard work in gathering wide-ranging evidence for this report, including from those who deliver and use public services.
"We have, at the last count, six local authorities who are in special measures with regard to education out of 22," he said. "This report addresses many issues that are critical at a time when the need for public services is outstripping the resources available to provide them. I have always been clear that the status quo is not an option.
"Now that's not sustainable in the future so we need to have a very hard, long and honest look at the structure of not just local government but all public services in Wales to make sure that the structure is far more sustainable and stronger in the future." "People across Wales rely heavily on the vital services delivered by the public sector every day. Change is inevitable and essential so that our public services can become more efficient, effective, accessible and responsive.
Conservative AM for Monmouth Nick Ramsay told the programme Welsh ministers should not "rush headlong" into a reorganisation that may not bring the improvements people expected but would cost money. "I will now take time to consider the report in detail and respond in due course."
"It could also wipe off the map some areas of Wales which people identify with - we've got to be careful, people have a sense of identity - don't mess with that," he said. Chair of the commission, Sir Paul Williams, said he was "very pleased" with the report, which was the culmination of eight months' work.
In a newsletter to constituents, Conservative Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb expressed fears that Pembrokeshire County Council would disappear. "We are very clear that public services in Wales face severe and prolonged challenges," he said.
"Local people fought hard to get Pembrokeshire back from the old Dyfed authority, and the case for having our own local authority is as valid now as it was then," he said. "The effects of recession and austerity on public sector budgets will continue to be felt for many years. At the same time, our population is changing, meaning that the need for some of our most intensive and costly public services is bound to grow."
Professor Stephen Martin, the director of the Public Policy Institute for Wales at Cardiff University, carried out research for the Williams Commission. Sir Paul said demand for public services was growing, through demographic change and increasing public expectations, while resources were falling.
He said he believed the idea of reducing the number of councils was now "unstoppable". "Radical change is needed for public services to survive in a viable and sustainable form," he said.
"(But) there isn't one right size - we have to work out what we want local councils to do," he told BBC Radio Wales. "We cannot deny or ignore current and future challenges; instead, we need a public sector which can rise to meet them."
"Looking at the evidence after the initial cost of redundancies etc you get two to three years where there is a dip in the performance of services - then from five years in, services improve.
'Objective evidence'
"The politics are quite tricky, but my own personal view is that the sooner the reorganisation happens the better because as soon as it's announced there is a hiatus in local council, people don't know what job they'll be doing, and major initiatives won't be developed."
In its submission to the commission, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) - which represents local authorities in Wales - estimated the shake-up could cut 15,000 jobs, in addition to job losses that would result from budget cuts.
WLGA-commissioned research by accountants Deloitte indicated the cost of the changes was likely to be more than £200m.
Plaid Cymru local government spokesman Rhodri Glyn Thomas said the party would support re-organisation if there was a case made for it "based on independent, objective evidence".
"We have to look at what can be delivered nationally, what can be delivered regionally and what can be delivered locally, and then, when you look at the delivery of those services, the structures fall into place."
Liberal Democrats want the voting system for local elections changed as part of any shake-up, but they insist the cost of the changes must be kept "under control" and the quality of services not threatened.
The party's local government spokesman Peter Black said: "I'm prepared to support re-organisation if we get it right, and that means having councils which are representative, with a fair voting system, so that the outcome of elections are reflected in the way councils are elected."
Janet Finch-Saunders, the shadow minister for local government and Conservative assembly member for Aberconwy, told Radio Wales she did not think it was about council numbers.
"What we want to see are public services delivered well, with efficiency and transparency," she said.
"If you look at the predicted cost of full-scale reorganisation, anything between £200m and £500m, I think we'll wait and see what the report says and what the options are."