Simon Thomas: Will the Minister make a statement regarding the salaries and pensions of senior council officers in light of Wales Audit Office reports? EAQ(4)0374(LG)
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Janet Finch-Saunders: During the passing of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013, the Welsh Conservatives led calls for all senior pay to be set by an independent remuneration board. Sadly, you and Plaid Cymru voted that down, in favour of your own amendment allowing local authorities to only have regard to any panel recommendations, for chief executives only. In the aftermath of the Wales Audit Office findings regarding Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, do you not regret taking that decision? Would you consider reviewing that situation so that we can now see transparent, accountable controls in place for all levels of senior pay across our local authorities? Lesley Griffiths: No, I do not and will not. I think that it is absolutely right that locally elected members—they are the ones who are put there by the local electorate—take firm responsibility for and ownership of decisions concerning the remuneration of their senior officers. It is those local councillors’ responsibility to ensure that proper governance is practised, and they should be mindful of ensuring the correct and appropriate spending of public funds.