These are tough times to be involved in local government. No-one came into public services to cut and shut. And that is what many councillors find themselves doing right now. But I hope that in Wales, we are making times a little less tough for our Welsh councils than their English counterparts. We chose to protect our vital public services, which in turn protect our most vulnerable citizens.

As minister for public services, I have met every council leader from across Wales in the past year, many on numerous occasions.