Clause 37 - Best value grant: communities
Local Government Bill
10:00 am
Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)
Clause 37, which applies to Wales, provides for the National Assembly of Wales to pay a grant to best value community councils that are subject to any best value duties for expenditure that they incur. By virtue of the Local Government (Best Value) (Exemption) (Wales) Order 2000, at present no council meets the criteria for being subject to any of the best value duties in sections 3 to 6 of the Local Government Act 1999.
However, that may change. The Assembly has commissioned a research project to be carried out by the University of Wales at Aberystwyth into the role and responsibilities of community councils. It may result in some community councils taking part in the Wales programme for improvement, which is an in-depth assessment by each authority of its fitness to achieve continuous improvement across all its functions. The Wales programme for improvement is based on the best value duties in the 1999 Act.
Clause 37 permits the payment of grant to best value authorities, which are defined in subsection (1) as community councils that are subject to the best value duties set out in sections 3 to 6 of the 1999 Act. There is no requirement for Treasury consent, as the Assembly sets its own Budget.