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Welsh first minister, Rhodri Morgan, has warned senior local officers they could lose their jobs, under changes to local government. Morgan expanded plans for merging council back-office functions to make it clear that top jobs would face the axe. Quizzed by senior assembly members, he praised the current moves to link functions provided by the 10 local authorities in the south-east of Wales, as well as a similar move in the North, in the Making the connections programme. The first minister said he had expected the earlier establishment of 22 local health boards to run the NHS would have resulted in appointment of 22 chief executives without each needing a full supporting cast of senior officers. He complained that this didn't always happen. With Wales served by 22 small councils, plus the local health boards, concern has been expressed that the country has too many senior officers. Morgan continued: ‘Avoidance of duplicating too many senior posts is already built into the system, and we hope it will get even better as we develop the third back office in the north. There is no reason for having 22 separate administrations of housing benefit. ‘We would like to think there is an ability to manage through merged back offices with far fewer senior officers than you might think.' With the Beecham report Beyond boundaries now adding 22 non-statutory local service boards by 2008, Mr Morgan rejected political claims that his aim was to enable each board's civil service members to take over – they would merely suggest new ways of working. They were an extra layer of bricks on the existing foundation, he said.

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WHITEHALL

Welsh officers warned: Your jobs are in jeopardy

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