Mark Isherwood
Shadow Local Government Minister Mark Isherwood AM is calling on the Welsh Government to use the delegated powers they have under the Localism Act 2011 to give communities more say over matters which affect them such as council tax.
Mr Isherwood is concerned that the people of Wales are being denied the voice, choice and control available in England and this week called for a Welsh Government Statement on Welsh Government implementation under delegated ministerial powers of the UK Localism Act 2011 in Wales.
Speaking in the Chamber he said:
“There are many calls for this. Thus far it has not happened. I will give you just two examples. On the day when we know that average council tax across Wales will rise by 4.2%, and that the share of average wages in Wales going on council tax will overtake the UK average, we know that, under the Localism Act, a council cannot increase council tax by more than 2% without a referendum of the local community in which it explains what that extra money would be spent on, but of course that is not available in Wales.
“A second example is that the Campaign for Real Ale, which plays a key job in supporting local pubs, supporting local food and drink production, supporting communities and delivering jobs, is very much in favour of the Localism Act and is pleased with the way it is being applied in England, but its members in Wales are now mounting a campaign to have a Welsh version of the Act. We do not need a Welsh version of the Act; we need Ministers in Wales to use the delegated powers they have under the Act to break down the barriers between service providers and service users, and genuinely build resilient, sustainable communities in Wales, trusting the people.”
The Minister for Local Government and Government Business, Lesley Griffiths AM, told Mr Isherwood that she is monitoring the way that council taxes are being set and that she will use her capping powers if they are unreasonable.
Mr Isherwood added: “Council tax is higher in England, but the margin has fallen by 10% in just four years as Labour Ministers in Wales denied people in Wales the council tax freeze available to people in England and Scotland. It is simply not acceptable that council tax increases are so much higher than the average 0.6% in England, when average wages in Wales are so much lower, it is simply not acceptable for the Minister to talk about using her capping powers when she means this to apply to an even higher council tax increase of 5% and it is simply not acceptable that communities in Wales are being denied the voice, choice and control available in England because Labour Ministers want to keep the power for themselves.”
