NON-POLICE ISSUES.

In response to your recent email, my views are that more AM's are required but MP numbers should be reduced. There must be more "first past the post" candidates.

I cannot answer what should be or not be devolved as it is a process that will continue to find its own level. However, transport issues should be fully devolved as sharing this role with Westminster is not particularly efficient.

The size of proposed "Wind Farms" determines who gives authority, Westminster or the NAW. This is cumbersome and demeans the WA minister responsible for the environment. Decisions should be made in Wales alone.

The funding formula for schools is to some extent regulated by Central Government and has caused great discontent in Flintshire with concern amongst school governors that this area attracts a low percentage of funding per child and compares badly with bordering England. There should be greater openness as to where money for schools goes as during the four years as an Assembly member, I devoted too much time in trying to determine what funding was given to Local Authorities and if it was given, why were schools so desperately short of cash. I have made vigorous attempt to make progress in this area, even taking governors to meet with the Education minister. No concessions were given and governors were firmly told that rightful sums of money was allocated to Local Authorities whose spending regime had to be challenged.

The Local Authorities deny they have been properly funded, taking into account statutory increases in overall expenditure and higher staffing costs. I felt frustrated that despite great effort, after four years the question of "where is the money for schools going" had not been answered.

The WA must devise open audit trails and be able to show governors and other funded organisations that money is actually flowing from the Assembly. I asked endlessly for a "Pots of Money" audit as there is a suspicion that new schemes are devised with some esoteric name and no new money is offered. Thus, people become frustrated when the "new" money is not~forthcoming. The Assembly will lose credibility if it seems to operate the "smoke and mirrors" concept.

Having concentrated on the pros and cons of devolving policing in my longer paper, I had not repeated them again and offer them to you in this overview of main paper.