Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

Clause 211 refers to joint waste authorities in Wales. It gives power to Welsh Ministers to make by order provision in relation to Wales and replaces references to the Secretary of State with references to Welsh Ministers. This is a welcome move to improve the devolutionary aspect of local government in Wales. In Wales, geology, topography, rainfall and weather sometimes dictate that a waste authority’s facilities may not necessarily be in that local authority. There are 22 local authorities of differing sizes in Wales. Powys, where I live, is 132 miles long—the distance from the Severn Bridge to London. Others, such as Merthyr Tydfil, are very small. There have been problems in recent times in places such as the Rhondda where the waste facilities have not matched the capacity of the local authority to provide the kind of service that is necessary. I therefore very much welcome Clause 211, which will be very useful legislation for Welsh Ministers to deploy in Wales.