Although the National Assembly Liaison Office is defined in terms of the National Assembly and was created in response to the formation of the Assembly, it is not limited to engaging with the Assembly. Another important part of its work pertains to Local Government.
A Significant Body
Many people do not think that Local Government is particularly important. In reality, however, it has very considerable spending powers in areas that are of great importance for the church especially given its role in the voluntary sector. Furthermore, Local Government has just gained a new power to promote 'social and environmental wellbeing' which is again of great significance given our role in the voluntary sector.
Local Government Reform:
A) Structure
Local Government is currently in the process of restructuring from a committee to a cabinet system. Consideration has also been given to the provision of elected Mayors although this now looks unlikely to take place in Wales.
B) Electoral System
Electoral turnout in Local Elections is currently just 45%. In June 2001 the National Assembly created the Commission on Local Government Electoral Arrangements to consider, among other things, the introduction of proportional representation. It reported in July 2002. Its recommendations regarding proportional representation were not embraced by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Read the Evangelical Alliance response
The Commission on Local Government Electoral Arrangement in Wales Improving Local Democracy (PDF 200K)
Stand For Election
One of the issues the Commission considered was the fact that so many councillors are retired men. If you are a retired man this puts you in a strong position!! If you do not come into this category, though, then you should be aware that there will be increasing interest in your candidacy. If you are worried about loss of income, please note that councillors allowances have risen very considerably in recent years in order to attract the non-retired by compensating for lost earnings. The next election will be on June 10th 2004. Why not stand?
Find out more about the elections here
Key Points Of Engagement For The Church
There are three important recent developments with which the church must engage:
- Community Strategies
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- Voluntary Sector Compacts
- The Standards Committee
- Mayor's Chaplaincy
The Welsh Local Government Association
The body that has been created to represent Local Authorities is the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA). It produces a series of papers and research which are extremely helpful for the purposes of understanding Local Democracy in the 21st century.
Visit their web site www.wlga.gov.uk
Have you visited your Local Government web site?
