Ms Ann Marie O'Connor:

I will respond on the public consultation question the Deputy asked. As she will be aware, the minimum standard for public consultation is set out in legislation. Generally, we do not see any real problem in this regard. Local authorities are mindful of their obligations around public consultation. They engage in it positively because huge benefits come from engaging with the public about their understanding of their local areas, etc. Sometimes, there are issues.

In respect of the Deputy’s point about the summer holidays, we generally see that local authorities make an effort to avoid those periods. Sometimes it is unavoidable if the statutory timelines require them to move ahead. It must be borne in mind that they do not generally have council meetings in August as well. While they have a lot of moving parts, they generally engage in a positive and proactive manner.

We have also produced a toolkit for local authorities to use for their public consultations. It goes through and provides some good examples of where the sector has used innovative tools, etc. That is available on our website.