New councils' map 'critical' for voters

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-33215509

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First Minister Carwyn Jones has said it is "critical" that voters are offered a new map for local councils in order to improve public services.

Speaking to Sunday Politics Wales, he said Labour must go into next year's assembly election with a blueprint for local government reorganisation.

Ministers want to replace the 22 councils with eight or nine bigger authorities.

But they face opposition from some council leaders within their own party.

A map showing the boundaries of merged councils was published by the Welsh government last week.

It will form the basis of changes ministers hope to deliver after next year's assembly election.

Asked if the map would appear in Labour's manifesto next year, Mr Jones said: "That's the plan, yes."

He added: "What's absolutely critical is that having said there needs to be re-organisation, to create better public services - this is what this is about at the end of the day - you then produce a map around which a discussion can take place.

"We cannot go into the election with nothing, we can't. We have to go into the election with a solid proposal so the people of Wales, the electorate, can see what we propose to do."

NHS

The first minister said people in north Wales had lost confidence in Betsi Cadwaladr health board and it would stay in special measures "for as long as it takes for that confidence to be rebuilt amongst the local population".

"You expect your local health boards to deliver," he said.

"When they don't you take action which is exactly what we've done by ensuring that Betsi Cadwaladr is in special measures."

Despite the damning report into the Tawel Fan mental health unit - and a report last year into failings at two hospitals run by the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board - Mr Jones said "most people most of the time get a good service from the NHS".

But the Welsh government was determined to see improvement "month after month".

POVERTY AND THE ECONOMY

He defended Labour's record on the economy, saying 7,000 jobs had been created or protected by enterprise zones in Wales.

On Monday, the Welsh government will announce that a furniture business it has supported on the Deeside enterprise zone has created 220 jobs.

But last week a cross-party group of AMs criticised poor progress in tackling poverty, blaming "the lack of a clear economic policy".

"If you say to me can we do more in terms of tackling poverty, the answer is we can always try to do more," he said.

Mr Jones said: "You can't sit back and say everything is fine.

"It's not been easy. The economic picture across the world hasn't helped. The UK government's policies haven't helped.

"That doesn't mean we say sorry it's nothing to do with us. Absolutely not."

ELECTIONS

He said May's general election was "very, very disappointing" and he did not expect Labour to lose the Gower constituency to the Conservatives.

Mr Jones said he would hold meetings around Wales to hear what the public had to say before the assembly election in 2016.

"People will say to us 'what have you got to offer that's new?'" he said.

Welsh Labour will fight the election "with a manifesto that will excite people".