Shadow Counsel General and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that public notices are accessible to all.
Questioning the Counsel General in yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood said that “the provision of information via written means is important for many people”.
He also raised concerns that the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill in its current form could negatively impact older people and disabled people.
He said:
“Your responsibilities as Counsel General include both Legislative Programme Delivery and performance of other functions in the public interest.
“A Statement of Opinion calling on the Welsh Government to retain the legislative duty for council tax notices to be printed in local newspapers, tabled by Mike Hedges MS, has secured cross-Party support. This recognises that ‘the provision of information via written means is important for many people’.
“What discussions have you therefore had with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office regarding the Stage 3 amendment to the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill being tabled by Peter Fox MS on 9th July to retain this crucial duty, recognising, as the media sector (News Media Association) tells us, that if this Bill is passed in its current form, it could trigger a watering down of other vital statutory requirements for a whole range of Public Notices, as well as creating a postcode lottery with inconsistent levels of transparency across Wales - matters that would fall within your remit?”
Responding, the Counsel General said:
“The issue of public notices is, of course, an important one. We do live in an age of modern technology and there are many ways in which notices are actually communicated, so it is perfectly proper and appropriate that reviews as to how information of such matters are made available and accessible to the public. It is not a matter on which I've been asked to advise; it is a matter that is properly addressed by the appropriate Cabinet Secretary that you've referred to.”
Mr Isherwood added:
“Well, I'm concerned you've not been asked to advise particularly as to the impact that this could have on the digitally excluded, particularly older people and disabled people.”