3. What additional funding will the Cabinet Secretary allocate to the local government portfolio to tackle the recent floods on Anglesey? OAQ51411

Thank you to Rhun ap Iorwerth for the question. Welsh Government officials are in contact with Anglesey council on this matter, and a meeting is planned with the council to establish the cost implications associated with the flood damage. We will continue to explore ways to support the council where possible.

I’m grateful for that response, and I’m pleased that those discussions are ongoing. I’m also grateful for the positive indications given by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport a week ago on the possibility of assistance on the A545 between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris. There will be financial implications beyond road maintenance, of course, and I would appreciate any support when that arrives. But in more general terms, austerity, of course, and the pressure that there has been on local government funding through the Welsh Government, makes it more difficult for councils to build the kinds of reserves that they would desire to have in order to respond to urgent issues such as floods or other occurrences. So, is there any intention within Welsh Government to look at the possibility of creating some sort of new contingency fund that would respond specifically to the difficulties faced by councils now in building the kind of reserves necessary?

Well, Llywydd, we do have a system in place already and, on the whole, I think that the system does work. When things like this happen. Councils can come to the Government and we do have a meeting within the diary for that to take place. We do keep money in these reserves in order to be able to assist when things like this do take place. As I said, as a Government we are eager to see if there are things that we can do to help in the context of Ynys Môn at present. We can do so under the current situation and arrangements that we have, and we’re eager to do so.