Government of Wales Act 1998

Local government, the voluntary sector and business

113 Relations with local government

(1) The Assembly shall make a scheme (referred to in this Act as the local government scheme) setting out how the Assembly proposes, in the exercise of its functions, to sustain and promote local government in Wales.

(2) The Assembly shall establish and maintain a body to be known as the Partnership Council for Wales or Cyngor Partneriaeth Cymru (but referred to in this Act as the Partnership Council).

(3) The Partnership Council shall consist of Assembly members and members of local authorities in Wales.

(4) The Partnership Council may—

(a) give advice to the Assembly about matters affecting the exercise of any of the Assembly’s functions,

(b) make representations to the Assembly about any matters affecting, or of concern to, those involved in local government in Wales, and

(c) give advice to those involved in local government in Wales.

(5) In determining at any time the provision to be included in the local government scheme the Assembly shall have regard to any advice which has been given, and to any representations which have been made, to the Assembly by the Partnership Council.

(6) Schedule 11 (which makes provision supplementing this section) has effect.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (3) and that Schedule the following are local authorities in Wales—

(a) county councils, county borough councils and community councils in Wales,

(b) National Park authorities for National Parks in Wales,

(c) police authorities for police areas in Wales,

(d) fire authorities for combined areas in Wales, and

(e) authorities of any description specified for the purposes of this paragraph by order made by the Assembly.

(8) No order shall be made under subsection (7)(e) unless the Assembly has consulted the Partnership Council.

114 Relations with voluntary organisations

(1) The Assembly shall make a scheme setting out how it proposes, in the exercise of its functions, to promote the interests of relevant voluntary organisations.

(2) In this section “relevant voluntary organisations” means bodies (other than local authorities or other public bodies) whose activities—

(a) are carried on otherwise than for profit, and

(b) directly or indirectly benefit the whole or any part of Wales (whether or not they also benefit any other area).

(3) In determining the provision to be included in the scheme the Assembly shall consider how it intends to exercise such of its functions as relate to matters affecting, or of concern to, relevant voluntary organisations.

(4) The scheme shall specify—

(a) how the Assembly proposes to provide assistance to relevant voluntary organisations (whether by grants, loans, guarantees or any other means),

(b) how the Assembly proposes to monitor the use made of any assistance provided by it to relevant voluntary organisations, and

(c) how the Assembly proposes to consult relevant voluntary organisations about the exercise of such of its functions as relate to matters affecting, or of concern to, such organisations.

(5) The Assembly shall keep the scheme under review and in the year following each ordinary election (after the first) shall consider whether it should be remade or revised.

(6) The Assembly may not delegate the function of making, or remaking or revising, the scheme.

(7) The Assembly shall publish the scheme when first made and whenever subsequently remade and, if the scheme is revised without being remade, shall publish either the revisions or the scheme as revised (as it considers appropriate).

(8) The Assembly shall consult such relevant voluntary organisations as it considers appropriate before making, remaking or revising the scheme.

(9) After each financial year the Assembly shall publish a report of how its proposals as set out in the scheme were implemented in that financial year.

115 Consultation with business

The Assembly shall carry out consultation with such organisations representative of business and such other organisations as it considers appropriate having regard to the impact of the exercise by the Assembly of its functions on the interests of business.