Meetings

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

 

 

Meeting: 21/05/2025 - Plenary (Item 5)

Debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee report: The role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector

NDM8903 John Griffiths (Newport East)
To propose that the Senedd:
Notes the report of the Local Government and Housing Committee, ‘Role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector’, which was laid in the Table Office on 5 March 2025.
Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 14 May 2025.

 

Minutes:

The item started at 15.52

NDM8903 John Griffiths (Newport East) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the report of the Local Government and Housing Committee, ‘Role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector’, which was laid in the Table Office on 5 March 2025. 

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 14 May 2025. 

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Meeting: 05/02/2025 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - consideration of draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1     The Committee considered the draft report.

Meeting: 08/01/2025 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Letter from Audit Wales with additional information following the meeting of 14 November 2024

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.2  The Committee noted the letter.

Meeting: 05/12/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 2)

2 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government

Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Welsh Government

Kevin Griffiths, Head of Local Government Partnerships Policy, Welsh Government

Lisa James, Deputy Director, Local Government Policy Division, Welsh Government

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1     The Committee received evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government.

2.2     The Cabinet Secretary agreed to provide the Committee with a link to the digital health action plan for One Voice Wales.

Meeting: 05/12/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 5)

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - Consideration of evidence and key issues

Minutes:

5.1     The Committee agreed the evidence and key issues.

Meeting: 05/12/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Letter from the Welsh Local Government Association with additional information in relation to the inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of community and town councils in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.4     The Committee noted the letter.

Meeting: 05/12/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence from Cwmpas with additional information following the meeting of 14 November

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.2     The Committee noted the correspondence.

Meeting: 27/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 5)

5 Letter from Building Communities Trust with additional information following the meeting of 14 November

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

5.5     The Committee noted the letter.

Meeting: 27/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 7)

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - consideration of evidence

Minutes:

7.1     The Committee considered the evidence received.

Meeting: 27/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 4)

4 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 5

Lyn Cadwallader, Chief Executive, One Voice Wales

Councillor Mike Theodoulou, Chair, One Voice Wales

Paul Egan, Deputy Chief Executive, One Voice Wales

Councillor Ian Hodge, North and Mid Wales Association of Local Councils

Robert Robinson, Secretary to the Association, North and Mid Wales Association of Local Councils

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1     The Committee received evidence from One Voice Wales and the North and Mid Wales Association of Local Councils.

Meeting: 27/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 4

Emma Smith, Welsh Policy Liaison Officer, Society of Local Council Clerks

Michael King, Head of Policy and External Communications, Society of Local Council Clerks

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1     The Committee received evidence from the Society of Local Council Clerks.

Meeting: 27/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 2)

2 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 3

Michelle Morris, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1     The Committee received evidence from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Meeting: 14/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 7)

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - consideration of evidence

Minutes:

7.1     The Committee considered the evidence received.

Meeting: 14/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 2

Councillor Anthony Hunt, Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council, representing Welsh Local Government Association

Justine Cass, Deputy Monitoring Officer and Solicitor, Torfaen County Borough Council, representing Welsh Local Government Association

Clive Wolfendale, Chair, National Standards Committee Chairs’ Forum

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1     The Committee received evidence from representatives of the Welsh Local Government Association.

3.2     The Committee agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association with the questions not reached on ‘Digital and IT’

·         To understand how the Chief Digital Officer for Local Government is working with community and town councils, and what resource and capacity needs have been identified; and

·         Whether there is sufficient support and resource for community councils to improve their digital and IT capacity, and whether it should be a priority for this tier of government.

3.3     The Committee also agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association on ‘data and diversity’ to establish;

·         whether there is sufficient data collated on diversity within the community council sector, and how are local authorities working with community councils to improve availability and quality of such data?

         

Meeting: 14/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 2)

2 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 1

Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales

Deryck Evans, Audit Manager, Audit Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1     The Committee received evidence from the Auditor General for Wales.

2.2     The Committee agreed to request further information from Audit Wales on its escalation process and the powers available to the Auditor General

Meeting: 14/11/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 4)

4 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 3

Dan Roberts, Policy and Engagement Officer, Cwmpas

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1     The Committee received evidence from Cwmpas.

4.2     Cwmpas agreed to write to the Committee to provide additional information on their research work on the relationship between Local Authorities and Town and Community Councils.

Meeting: 23/10/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 1)

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - private stakeholder event

Minutes:

1.1     The Committee held a private discussion with stakeholders to help inform it’s inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector.

Meeting: 23/10/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 4)

Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - consideration of evidence

Minutes:

4.1     The Committee considered the evidence received at the private stakeholder event.

Meeting: 23/10/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - private stakeholder event

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1     The Committee held a private discussion with stakeholders to help inform it’s inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector.

Meeting: 18/09/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 3)

3 Letter from Joel James MS in relation to the inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.3     The Committee noted the letter.

Meeting: 18/07/2024 - Local Government and Housing Committee (Item 1)

1 Consideration of terms of reference - inquiry into community and town councils

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered draft terms of reference for an inquiry into community and town councils and agreed to finalise its approach outside of Committee.

 

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