THE Welsh Government’s local government secretary Alun Davies has been accused of showing “total disrespect” to the Welsh Assembly by not informing fellow AMs plans to merge councils were being scrapped.

The proposals to cut the number of councils in Wales from 22 to 10 – including merging Newport and Caerphilly into a single authority and Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire into another – proved deeply controversial when they were announced in March.

And, at the Welsh Local Government Association annual conference in Llandudno last weekend, Blaenau Gwent AM Mr Davies announced the plans had been binned.

But, speaking in the Assembly on Wednesday, Plaid Cymru AM Siân Gwenllian asked Mr Davies why he had not followed normal procedure and informed AMs of the decision through a written statement, saying she, and many others, had only learned about it through Twitter.

Pointing out Mr Davies had also announced a previous version of the plan was being scrapped on his personal blog, Ms Gwenllian said: “Twice, therefore, important statements such as these that impact on the way in which public services are run for the future have been announced without you informing AMs through written statements in a formal way.

“Twice you have shown a total disrespect and undermined the credibility of the government and the role of this Assembly as a legislative body for Wales.”

But, saying he would make a full statement on Tuesday, July 17, Mr Davies said: “(Ms Gwenllian) seems to believe that ministers should be silent in terms of a national debate and not participate in national conversations outside of this chamber.

“I’m sorry, if that is her case, then I disagree with her. I think it’s absolutely right and proper that ministers participate actively in the national debate around many issues that are the responsibility of this place, and others, and I will continue to do so.”

This is the third local government reform to be scrapped in recent years.

A previous plan, which would have seen Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly merged into a single authority, was dropped after the 2016 Assembly Election.

A second reform plan by Mark Drakeford, now finance minister, which would have involved no forced mergers but closer collaboration between councils on areas such as transport, was scrapped when Mr Davies he took over the local government portfolio.