Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Y Pwyllgor Deisebau	National Assembly for Wales Petitions Committee
Adolygiad o'r System ddeisebau Cymru y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol	Review of the National Assembly for Wales Petitions System
Ymateb gan: Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy	Response from: Conwy County Borough Council

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the review of the National Assembly for Wales’ Petitions System.

Conwy County Borough Council does not wish to submit an opinion on the majority of the questions raised as part of the review with the exception of the following:

Question 5 – Should the Assembly consider petitions on matters for which individual local authorities have the main responsibility? Are there any responsibilities of local authorities on which petitions should be allowed?

No, it is not appropriate for the Assembly to consider petitions on matters that they have no responsibility for.   It is only right and proper that petitions relating to responsibilities of a local authority are considered inadmissible by the Assembly and such petitions should be directed to the appropriate local authority.  Local Authorities have their own rules relating to the submission of petitions, which have to be relevant to an issue for which the Local Authority has powers or duties or shared delivery responsibilities. Local Authorities are democratically elected bodies and, as stated in your review document, are democratically accountable to their electorate in a way that other public bodies are not so it would be inappropriate for the Assembly to interfere or express a view on something it has no direct power over. 

I do not want to be invited to give evidence to further explain our response.

Yours sincerely

Siân Williams

Pennaeth y Gwasanaethau Democrataidd / Head of Democratic Services

Y Gyfraith a Llywodraethu / Law and Governance

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol CONWY County Borough Council.