HERE we go again.

The Cabinet Secretary Alun Davies of the Welsh Assembly Government has announced that he proposes to cut the 22 unitary authorities in Wales to 10 – under these proposals Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire councils would be amalgamated, which would effectively take us back to the old Dyfed days.

During such difficult times we can ill afford to fund this costly reorganisation, when the Welsh Assembly Government fails to illustrate where the money is coming from.

I believe they expect to raise the money from the reserves of each local authority, all of whom are struggling from the massive cuts already in the pipeline.

Local authorities are already working closely together to provide more efficient services as economically as possible, and it does not need such drastic reorganisation, to do this will cost the taxpayer dearly.

It is estimated that reorganisation will cost between £165-200million. Would it not be better for authorities to continue to work together to improve services and use such an amount to achieve this and not waste money to reorganise local government merely for political reasons and not for the good of the people of Pembrokeshire and Wales as a whole?

If this amalgamation comes into force there will be dramatic cutbacks in staffing and services in all three counties.

There will be no direct local services.

All decisions will be made further up the line, we will lose our identity in Pembrokeshire which will be horrendous.

We must not let this ill-conceived idea happen.

We must stop this legislation going through. Please write or email the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff with your strong objections during the now consultation process to stop this reorganisation and keep Pembrokeshire County Council as our unitary local authority.

UMELDA HAVARD

Merlins Bridge