I regularly meet managers, among others, on an informal basis at local events in connection with the housing, water services investment, roads and other local government infrastructure development programmes. I also have contact, from time to time, with individual county and city managers on matters concerning their authorities.
Since coming into office, I had an introductory meeting with a group of managers representing the City and County Managers Association on 17 July 2002, which touched on local government, housing, heritage, planning and the then forthcoming national spatial strategy and two plenary meetings with the county and city managers on 28 November 2002 and 29 May 2003. The meeting in November 2002 concerned the launching of the national spatial strategy and the role of managers in implementing it.
The items discussed at the May 2003 meeting, which had a joint agenda drawn up by my Department and the managers, included the better local government reform programme, funding of local authorities, affordable housing and waste management. The Protection of the Environment Act 2003 and the Local Government Act 2003 were referred to in the discussions on waste management and local government respectively.
It is in the nature of these meetings that they are business-like and forward looking. Commitments are made in general rather than in specific terms and I have undertaken to continue to work with all those in local authorities, including managers, on behalf of a better local government system that will be more effective and customer-focused.
Question No. 49 answered with Question No. 22.
