Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bae Caerdydd / Cardiff Bay

 Caerdydd / Cardiff

CF99 1NA

                                                          

26 July 2013                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Colleague

 

Inquiry into the progress with local government collaboration

 

The National Assembly for Wales’ Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee is to undertake a short inquiry into local government collaboration.  To assist with its inquiry, the Committee would welcome your views on this subject.

 

The Committee is undertaking this inquiry in the context of:

¡  The Welsh Government’s policy over several years to encourage more collaboration in the delivery of public services;

¡  The current implementation of the Simpson Compact; and

¡  The anticipated report of the Commission on Public Service Governance and Deliverybefore the end of 2013.

The purpose of the inquiry is to look at the extent to which local government collaboration is taking place, and to evaluate the success of this policy in terms of savings and the delivery of services.

Due to time constraints, this will be a short inquiry, gathering the views and experiences of key figures and organisations within Welsh local government on this topic.

 

/…..

 

 

It is not proposed at this stage to look in detail at case studies or local issues, but rather to gain a holistic understanding of the way in which the collaboration agenda has been taken forward on the ground.  In this way, it is hoped that the Committee will be able to form a view on the effectiveness of local government collaboration before the Commission on Public Service Governance and Delivery publishes its report at the end of 2013.

Terms of Reference

To look at the progress of local government collaboration in Wales, focusing on:

 

·         The extent to which the Welsh Government’s collaboration agenda has been taken forward within local authorities;

 

·         The structural, political and practical barriers to successful collaboration;

 

·         The models of governance and accountability adopted when collaboration takes place; and

 

·         The overall costs and benefits of collaborating to deliver local government services.

 

Invitation to contribute to the inquiry

 

The Committee welcomes responses in English or Welsh from both individuals and organisations and will hold oral evidence sessions in due course.

 

Submissions should be no longer than five sides of A4, with numbered paragraphs, and should focus on the terms of reference as set out above. 

 

If you wish to submit evidence, please send an electronic copy (preferably not in PDF) of your submission to celg.committee@wales.gov.uk

 

Alternatively, you can write to:

 

Committee Clerk

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.

 

Submissions should arrive by Friday 6 September 2013.  The short consultation period is due to the narrow focus of the terms of reference and the corresponding short timetable for the inquiry.  It may not be possible to take into account responses received after this date.

 

The Committee would be grateful if you could forward a copy of this letter to any individuals or organisations that might like to contribute to the review.  A copy of this letter will be placed on the National Assembly’s website with an open invitation to submit views.

 

 

 

/…..

 

 

Disclosure of Information

 

It is normal practice for the National Assembly to publish evidence provided to a Committee.  Consequently your response may appear in a report or in supplementary evidence to a report.  The National Assembly will not publish information which it considers to be personal data.

 

In the event of a request for information submitted under UK legislation, it may be necessary to disclose the information that you provide.  This may include information which has previously been removed by the National Assembly for publication purposes.

 

If you are providing any information, other than personal data, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, it is up to you to stipulate which parts should not be published and to provide a reasoned argument to support this.  The National Assembly will take this into account when publishing information or responding to requests for information.

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

Christine Chapman AM

Chair