Today’s Western Mail leader argues that what Wales needs is a ‘rethink’ of local government – hinting strongly at reorganisation. Like a hole in the head! The current 22 authorities are far from ideal but now is NOT the time to reorganise. Reorganisation costs – and always more than expected – with savings if any being medium to long term. Reorganisation takes time and energy, which would be better devoted to developing better ways of delivering services. And anyway there is no perfect solution that matches efficiency with effective local accountability.
Rather than changes to structures there needs to be a hard look at what works and what doesn’t, what could be done quicker and cheaper, and what people most want.
Lee 4:10 pm on 28 January, 2010 Permalink
Yes, but…many of the smaller Local Authorities lack the capacity to carry out strategic functions and the Local Service Boards have few successes to their name. How much time are we going to give this model?
In fact in transport rumour has it that the move towards pooling budgets across regional bodies is about to be reversed by WAG just as it was about to take off (after several years of operating in shadow form).
Undoubtedly reorganisation has negative side effects, but so does the status quo.
Jeff Jones 8:41 pm on 28 January, 2010 Permalink
Sorry to disagree with you Victoria but the present system is unsustainable. The good settlements from the Assembly since about 2003 are now coming to an end. Too many authorities such are just too small to cope with the Tsunami of cuts that is heading their way. If the IFS is right and we could be going back to 1997 figures in real terms then it will be meltdown. Shared services and shared officers really haven’t worked anywhere in the UK and time is too short.
If the Tories win in May and all the opinion polls seem to point to this then the local government settlement that the Assembly will put together for 2011/12 doesn’t bear thinking about. Throw in pension fund revaluation and the cost of equal pay and local government is sadly looking at the perfect storm
Jackson 9:35 pm on 28 January, 2010 Permalink
I think Victoria has a point – after all, nobody would suggest that a devolved government in Wales is too small to cope with the coming financial storm associated with public sector cuts.
An old school teacher of mine used to say that there are two types of people – splitters and lumpers. You can make public sector organisations either bigger or break them up into smaller units – it depends on your starting place (if you are relatively new in post as a Minister) – just look at the cycle associated with health reform. People have been arguing that local authorities in Wales are too small well before the current crisis – is this just the opportunity that some people have been waiting for?
LAs were in the past much larger after all and besides, if you can’t change the money and are reluctant to change the people what other choice do you have if you want to be seen to be doing something. I think Victoria is right. We have to think much harder about what really works and that requires going back to first principles and determining what we want our local authorities to deliver, asking hard questions about what the citizen benefits we really need these organisations to provide are and then thinking about what works.