Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 5
Meeting date: Thursday, 15 June 2023
Meeting time: 09.01 - 13.13
This meeting can
be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/13373
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Category |
Names |
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Members of the Senedd: |
John Griffiths MS (Chair) Mabon ap Gwynfor MS Jayne Bryant MS Joel James MS Sam Rowlands MS Carolyn Thomas MS |
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Witnesses: |
Jess Blair, Electoral Reform Society Cymru Lis Burnett, Vale of Glamorgan Council Natasha Davies, Chwarae Teg Paul Egan, One Voice Wales Catherine Fookes, Women's Equality Network (WEN) Wales Professor Uzo Iwobi OBE, Race Council Cymru Megan Thomas, Policy Officer, Disability Wales Chris Dunn, Diverse Cymru Nia Wyn Jeffreys, Welsh Local Government Association Joseph Lewis, Welsh Local Government Association Dr Stefanie Reher Nia Thomas, Electoral Reform Society Cymru |
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Committee Staff: |
Manon George (Clerk) Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Angharad Era (Deputy Clerk) |
1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
1.1. The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Local Government and Housing Committee.
2 Diversity in Local Government - Evidence Session 1
2.1. The Committee received evidence from:
Councillor Lis Burnett – Leader, Vale of Glamorgan Council
Councillor Nia Wyn Jeffreys - Deputy Leader, Gwynedd Council
Joseph Lewis – Improvement Officer, WLGA
Paul Egan – Deputy Chief Officer, One Voice Wales
2.2. WLGA representatives agreed to provide more information on the extent job sharing is being utilised by local authorities.
2.3. WLGA representatives agreed to provide additional detail on the desk based review of diversity across local authorities undertaken by the WLGA following the local government election in 2022.
2.4 The Committee agreed to write to seek the witnesses views on guidance, training and support for councillors to deal with online intimidation, harassment and abuse.
3 Diversity in Local Government - Evidence Session 2
3.1. The Committee received evidence from:
Jess Blair – Director, ERS Cymru
Dr Nia Thomas – Research and Campaigns Officer, ERS Cymru
Dr Stefanie Reher – University of Strathclyde
3.2 The Committee agreed to write to seek the witnesses views on guidance, training and support for councillors to deal with online intimidation, harassment and abuse.
4 Diversity in Local Government - Evidence Session 3
4.1. The Committee received evidence from:
Catherine Fookes – Director, Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales
Natasha Davies – Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research, Chwarae Teg
Chris Dunn - Chief Executive Officer, Diverse Cymru
Professor Uzo Iwobi – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Race Council Cymru
Megan Thomas - Policy and Research Officer, Disability Wales
5 Papers to note
5.1 Letter from the Finance Committee to the Minister for Finance and Local Government - Non-Domestic Rating Bill LCM
5.1 The Committee noted the letter.
5.2 Letter from Minister for Finance and Local Government to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee - Non-Domestic Rating Bill LCM
5.2 The Committee noted the letter.
5.3 Letter from Minister for Finance and Local Government to the Finance Committee - Non-Domestic Rating Bill LCM
5.3 The Committee noted the letter.
5.4 Letter from Minister for Finance and Local Government - Local Authority Leisure and Library Services
5.4 The Committee noted the letter.
5.5 Local Authority Leisure and Library Services - Additional information from the Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism following the evidence session on 24 May
5.5 The Committee noted the letter.
6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting
6.1 The Committee agreed the motion.
7 Non-Domestic Rating Bill LCM - Consideration of draft report
7. The Committee considered the draft report.
8 Diversity in Local Government - Consideration of evidence and summary of engagement
8. The Committee considered the evidence and the summary of engagement.