§ 16. Mr. TouhigTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the recent report from the Commission for Local Administration in Wales into a planning matter involving Caerphilly borough council; and if he will make a statement. [56592]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesI am well aware of the problems highlighted by the Ombudsman's report.
The White Paper on modernising local government in Wales, which we published in July, announced the Government's intention to introduce a new ethical framework for local councils. This will include clearer codes of conduct for elected members and a far tougher regime in the event that codes are breached. The new arrangements will make it far harder for councillors to claim ignorance of the requirements placed upon them.