THE Welsh Government is negotiating a deal with opposition AMs on toughening up the law on senior council officer pay in the wake of the Caerphilly pay scandal.

Opposition parties have threatened to block a newlaw on local government if it did not deal with the issue.

Labour is governing in a minority administration and needs support from opposition AMs to get its business through the Assembly.

The way the chief executive of Caerphilly council was given a pay rise was said to be unlawful by the Wales Audit Office.

Plaid AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas had attempted to introduce an amendment to the Local Democracy Bill that would have seen pay packages for top officers agreed by an independent body, but it was voted down at committee by the chairman’s casting vote.

Peter Black, Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson on local government, said: “The three opposition parties have all made it clear to the government in separate meetings that if the bill does not contain provisions on chief executives’ pay then we will vote the bill down.

“I understand that as a result of this the Government are now prepared to discuss the wording of an amendment acceptable to all four parties.”

Plaid said a minister had spoken to Mr Glyn Thomas and told him an amendement would be tabled that the party would sign up to.

A Welsh Government spokesman said the government “recognises that the pay of local authority chief executives is an issue which needs to be determined in an open and transparent way”.

“Listening to concerns over this matter, we are considering options,” she said.