Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Ym mis Hydref, fe wnes i nodi amlinelliad bras o’r ffordd ymlaen ar gyfer diwygio llywodraeth leol. Heddiw, rwyf wedi cyhoeddi Papur Gwyn i ymgynghori arno, o dan y teitl ‘Diwygio Llywodraeth Leol: Cadernid ac Adnewyddiad’. Rwy’n ddiolchgar i’r bobl yn y Cynulliad hwn, mewn llywodraeth leol ac yn y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ehangach sydd wedi cynnig cymorth sylweddol i ddatblygu’r cynigion gwreiddiol. Mae’r cyd-drafod hwn wedi dangos bod ymrwymiad cyffredin i fwy o weithio rhanbarthol. Mae wedi helpu i gadarnhau’r meysydd lle byddai dull mwy systematig o weithio’n rhanbarthol o fantais i bobl a chymunedau, ac yn helpu gweithlu llywodraeth leol i ddarparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol.

Y cydymdrech hwn sydd wedi arwain at y cynigion yn y Papur Gwyn. Maen nhw’n adlewyrchu’r trafodaethau niferus sydd wedi’u cynnal gydag arweinwyr, aelodau a swyddogion yr holl awdurdodau lleol, a’u partneriaid mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill ac yn y sector gwirfoddol. Mae’r papur yn nodi’r trefniadau arfaethedig ar gyfer gweithio’n rhanbarthol; rôl gryfach i gynghorau a chynghorwyr; fframwaith ar gyfer unrhyw uno gwirfoddol yn y dyfodol; ac amlinelliad o’r ffordd ymlaen ar gyfer cynghorau cymuned.

Rwyf wastad wedi cychwyn trwy bwysleisio mor hanfodol yw llywodraeth leol dda yma yng Nghymru. Rydym ni angen llywodraeth leol gadarn sy’n gallu gweithio gyda dinasyddion a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill i greu sefyllfa gynaliadwy at y dyfodol. Mae’r rhai sy’n gweithio mewn llywodraeth leol, neu sy’n ei chynrychioli, eisiau yr un peth. Mae hynny’n golygu bod angen mwy o gynnydd ar weithio’n gydweithredol.

It’s in that context, Llywydd, that the White Paper builds on the twin-track approach set out in the October statement. It confirms the intention to mandate regional working for strategic transport planning, certain land-use planning functions and economic development, and proposes that these responsibilities should be discharged on the three footprints represented by the existing Welsh Local Government Association regions.

It has been an encouraging feature of the discussions since October that local authorities themselves have identified a wider range of services suitable for discharge at a regional level. In October, the balance of advice favoured mandating health board footprints for the regional delivery of purposes such as education improvement, public protection and social services. The more detailed discussion has highlighted concerns that sticking rigidly to the health board footprint for other services could involve breaking up existing larger units of collaboration, or inhibit the development of new arrangements on a larger scale.

The White Paper therefore proposes some additional flexibility to agree footprints for these mandated purposes. That choice would operate within a framework determined by the Welsh Government aimed at removing overlap and promoting simplicity. Guided flexibility will avoid the need for disruptive change to well-established and effective regional arrangements, while opening up the possibility for more innovative arrangements where that is the right approach. The language, work and bilingual services report commissioned by my predecessor, for example, recommends that a linguistic-economic strategy is developed for the counties of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. Flexibility in regional working arrangements could allow for such an approach to be considered, and I look forward to this and other possibilities being explored further during the consultation period.

Llywydd, let me turn now to the question of governance. In detailed discussions since October, a statutory, strengthened joint committee, or joint governance committee, has emerged as the preferred governance model. The White Paper proposes that the National Assembly should legislate to create a consistent and robust common platform to which all local authorities would operate and thus provide a statutory underpinning to the work of these joint governance committees.

I also intend to take the opportunity offered by this White Paper to propose placing provision for combined authorities on the statute book. This will ensure that the necessary powers are in place if local authorities demonstrate that a combined authority approach would help deliver our shared objectives in the future.

The White Paper outlines an approach for financing the regional arrangements on a pooled contributions model. Members will also want to be aware that I intend to issue a written statement this afternoon dealing with the wider reform agenda in relation to the local government finance system.

Llywydd, I should highlight one other aspect of the White Paper that deals with greater collaborative working. The document sets out a series of actions to accelerate progress by local authorities in the sharing of back-office services. This is an area where progress has been inconsistent and where there is likely to be potential for improvements to efficiency, resilience and quality of services, which cannot go on being unharvested.

As far as community councils are concerned, the White Paper draws attention to the significant part they play in some parts of Wales while acknowledging the enormous variability in current arrangements. As announced in October, I intend to take action to support community councils to become more effective in the short term, but I also intend to commission a comprehensive independent review of the sector. This will inform a debate about the future of community councils and how we can utilise the best of the current arrangements and make them characteristic of the system as a whole.

Llywydd, the White Paper describes how we intend to take forward those aspects of the draft local government Bill, published in 2015, that were widely supported, such as providing a general power of competence, a new approach to performance improvement and strategies for better engagement with the public. We have recast those and other proposals, however, to strike a new clarity on shared aims, while providing flexibility for local authorities to determine how these shared objectives are to be delivered. This approach is demonstrated, for example, in our proposals to provide local authorities with powers to choose between operating through a cabinet or committee system of governance, or to decide how the activities of councillors are best to be reported to the electorate. The White Paper also invites initial views on a series of reforms to electoral arrangements for local government. This includes measures to improve voter registration and to voting, such as an all-Wales register and postal or electronic voting, as well as a reduction of the voting age for local government elections to 16. I am also seeking views on the introduction of permissive proportional representation to enable principal authorities to choose to adopt either a first-past-the-post or single transferable vote election system now that the Wales Bill has completed its progress through Parliament. I intend to consult further on this package of measures later this year.

Llywydd, reform is essential if local authorities are to be financially resilient and able to maintain and improve the quality of services. The proposals in this White Paper aim to provide that resilience and set a new relationship between national and local government and the communities they serve. It has been my aim since I became Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to build a consensus around the way ahead. I am very grateful to those with whom I have spoken, including members of other parties in this Chamber. Many of them, I hope, will recognise their contributions and suggestions in the White Paper itself, as it seeks to shape a viable and successful future for local government in Wales. I look forward to hearing Members’ views this afternoon.