City Deal Cardiff Capital Region who is it benefiting in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

When I ask people what they think of the City Deal 80% say what’s the City Deal like most people I don’t know much about it only it costing council taxpayers money and I don’t believe the residents were asked or consulted before the councils invested millions of taxpayers money into the deal.

The Cardiff Capital Region and the South Wales Metro A study was made way back in 2013 no talk of a city deal then but who’s going to pay for electrifying valley lines the UK Government Department for Transport the Welsh Government back in 2014 the inevitable arguments begin, but never forget irrespective whatever government department claims to fund anything it doesn’t all public money is taxpayers money and it is the taxpayers who fund the building of the metro and the running cost. Unfortunately, the Labour Party or Welsh Government are responsible for the construction and operation of the railway through Transport For Wales, hence the delays and continued complaints about the service TFW provides.

Back to the £1.2 billion City Deal for the Cardiff City Region, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr were the first two local authorities to commit to the City Deal after the scheme was put to their councillors, the other councils who joined were Blaenau Gwent; Bridgend; Caerphilly; Cardiff; Monmouthshire; Newport; and Vale of Glamorgan.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council cabinet reported in June 2015 that evidence from elsewhere shows that developing a City Deal proposal would cost in the region of £500K. It is proposed that this is shared across Councils in the region based on their population resulting in Rhondda Cynon Taf needing to contribute £79,037. The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal i programme was agreed in 2016 between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the ten local authorities in South East Wales to bring significant economic growth into the region through investment, upskilling, and improved physical and digital connectivity.

The city deal is it just another organisation created to distribute public money? Or jobs for the boys?

Seven years on AberdareOnline requested information about the city deal and the jobs it has provided so far, like all governments you need committees and the city deal is no exception.

I am seeking information regarding the remuneration and expenses reimbursed to the 10 members of the Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet, listed as follows:

Councillors Andrew Morgan, Anthony Hunt, Sean Morgan, Huw David, Huw Thomas, Stephen Thomas, Mary Ann Brocklesby, Lis Burnett, Jane Mudd and Geraint Thomas

Similarly, I would like to know the remuneration and expense provisions for the 11 members of the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee, identified as follows:

Julian Steadman Councillors Andrew Morgan, Anthony Hunt, Sean Morgan, Huw David, Huw Thomas, Stephen Thomas, Mary Ann Brocklesby, Lis Burnett, Jane Mudd and Geraint Thomas

Kindly furnish details regarding the compensation and expense arrangements for the 12 members of the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority.

Councillors John Spanswick, Ann Crimmings, Andrew Morgan, Sean Morgan, Huw David, Sean Morgan, Geraint Thomas, Dan De’Ath, Laura Lacey, Catrin Maby, John Morgan, Bronwen Brooks andAmanda Owen

I am also interested in understanding the remuneration and expense policies governing the 18 members of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee, listed below:

Councillors Andrew Whitcombe (Chair) Robert Bevan (Vice-Chair) Malcolm Cross, Paul Davies, Steven Garratt, Phillip Hourahine, David Isaac, Sandra Perkes, Peter Wong, Nathan Yeowell, Lisa Dymock (Reserve) Colin Elsbury (Deputy Member) (Reserve) Simon Griffiths (Deputy Member) (Reserve) Owen Jones (Reserve) Ross Leadbeater (Deputy Member) (Reserve)Jess Daniel (Secretary) Sarah Handy (Secretary) Janine Turner.

Cardiff Capital Region Response
‘Cardiff Capital Region’ is comprised of the 10 local authorities in South East Wales. It is not a separate legal entity and there is no provision for members to claim allowances or expenses.

Members of the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee, the Regional Transport Authority and the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee are remunerated by their Principal Authorities in accordance with each individual authority’s Members’ Allowances Scheme made under Part 8 of the Local

Government (Wales) Measure 2011 and having regard to the Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales. Attendance at a joint committee is an ‘approved duty’ which is remunerated within the allowance members receive from their Principal Authority. They are not remunerated separately for attending these committees or any associated duties.
Each Principal Authority publishes details of their Members’ Allowances Scheme on their individual websites. Whilst this is not information directly held by the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee, it is freely available to the public. Details may be found at the following web links.

· Members’ Allowances Scheme (Blaenau-gwent.gov.uk)
· Councillors’ remuneration – Bridgend CBC
· councillor-salaries2023-24.aspx (caerphilly.gov.uk)
· Schedule of Member Remuneration 2023 to 2024 (cardiff.gov.uk)
· Members’ Expenses Guide (merthyr.gov.uk)
· Members’ Allowances Scheme (monmouthshire.gov.uk)
· Schedule of Members Remuneration 22.23 final amended
(newport.gov.uk)
· Part6ScheduleofMemberRemuneration20212022.pdf (rctcbc.gov.uk)
· Members Schedule of Remuneration (torfaen.gov.uk)
· 2023-24 Members Schedule of Remuneration
(valeofglamorgan.gov.uk)

The Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority Member of the South East
Wales Corporate Joint Committee is a Welsh Government appointed member.
Enquiries about his remuneration should be directed to the National Park
Authority and/or Welsh Government. He is not separately remunerated by the
South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee and has not claimed any
expenses or other payment associated with his responsibilities as a
committee member.

In their Annual Report 2002 to 2023, the Independent Remuneration Panel for
Wales considered whether Members of a Corporate Joint Committee should
be additionally remunerated, as follows:
“Corporate Joint Committees
The Local Government and Elections Act 2021 established Corporate
Joint Committees (CJCs) which comprise groups of principal councils.
CJCs have specific functions which are set out in Regulations.
Paragraph 4 of The Corporate Joint Committee (General) (No.2) (Wales)
is relevant to the Panel.
The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 is amended to include CJCs
as relevant authorities for the functions of the Panel. Therefore, any payments
made to members of a CJC have to be determined by the Panel.
In respect of this Annual Report, as CJCs are in the early stages of being set
up, it is too soon for the Panel to consider whether members of a CJC should
be remunerated and over time the role, responsibility will be evaluated
including any consequential changes to the function and role of the Executive
members of the principal council. However, the payment of contribution to
costs of care and travel and subsistence to members of CJCs has been
included under sections Contribution towards Costs of Care and Personal
Assistance and Reimbursement of Travel and Subsistence Costs when on
Official Business.”
No changes to the above guidance have been made in the IRPW’s Annual
Report 2023 to 2024 or its Draft Annual Report 2024 to 2025.
To date, no members of the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee
have submitted a claim for contribution towards the costs of care and personal
assistance or to reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs.

Basicly the links provided do not mention anything about payment to councillors who serve on committees at the Cardiff Capital Region so the question was not answerd I wounder why.

Perhaps the councillors work for the Cardiff Capital Region?

I kindly request information regarding the members of the CSC Foundry Board, including their remuneration and expense provisions. Furthermore, please specify the responsibilities and roles of this board.

Cardiff Capital Response
CSC Foundry Limited is a separate corporate entity established as a special
purpose vehicle to support the delivery of the CSC Project. A list of directors
and the company’s articles of association may be found on the Companies
House website at CSC FOUNDRY LIMITED filing history – Find and update
company information – GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk).
The Board of Directors of CSC Foundry Ltd is comprised of 10 Directors –
one nominated by each of the 10 councils in the Cardiff Capital Region. The
Directors are not remunerated by CSC Foundry Ltd and there is no provision
for them to claim expenses from the company.
The Board is responsible for ensuring that the CSC project complies with its
legal obligations and delivers its planned outputs, which include:
· Redevelopment of the CSC Foundry site;

· Creation of at least 200 jobs at the site as a direct result of the
redevelopment;

· Support for the development of a wider Compound Semiconductor
Cluster.