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Grants scandal: Ex-cabinet member speaks out

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• ‘I found dodgy payments in a matter of minutes’
• Council director ‘refused’ to discipline staff involved

Cllr David Williams

Cllr David Williams

A NEW perspective was given to the Pembroke Dock grants scandal by former Cabinet Member David Simpson. Speaking exclusively to The Pembrokeshire Herald about the insight he had gained, Councillor Simpson, who is also a magistrate, told us: “I have several concerns about the grants investigation. When Councillor Mike Stoddart started to put things on his webpage, I had nothing to do with grants. I wasn’t even on the Audit Committee. I would read his page and I would go in the next morning and always question David Pugh about what was going on.

Inevitably, I would end up speaking to Gwyn Evans (the council’s European Manager). I was reassured over and over again over months that everything in the grants system was whiter than white. So, I questioned everything Mike Stoddart said. When I got on to the Audit Committee, I started to see more information. John Evans (the former Audit Chair) was very supportive of efforts to investigate and look at the grants. There was an instance at council when Cllr Stoddart wanted to see the documents relating to the grants.

I disagreed because I thought that would give one councillor exclusive access to information. So, I said that the right way forward was through the Audit Committee. “ He went on to explain: “The grants issue had been brought up before by Michael Williams and I wanted the Audit Committee to get a grip of it. I actually went in to County Hall one morning and spoke with Jon Haswell and asked him if I could see the fi les. I was particularly interested in 29 Dimond Street. Within 20 minutes I had found £8,000; in another hour and a half I had found £22,000 of irregular payments with the potential for a further £23,000.

There was around £46,000 of wrongful payments on that spreadsheet. I am no auditor, I’m just an ex-businessman. I can only confi rm that what I saw is the same as what everybody else saw. It went through Audit Committee. All the documents were put in a sealed room so everyone could see them.” Cllr Simpson continued: “Councillor Stoddart found out what I did and more and on other properties. The work of the Audit Committee was being done properly. Councillor Stoddart was involved in it, not even a member of the Audit Committee, but he was involved and acted very professionally. John Evans wanted a full audit of every project involving Mr McCosker, but I said to do 29 Dimond Street as a sample, because once we have found one set of problems we can then do the rest.

There was a bit of argy-bargy about the content of the Audit Report. It was decided the Director with responsibility for the grants (Dr Steven Jones) should have access to that report and be allowed to comment and to make adjustments. Which he did do (long pause) he did do. He acted upon 95% of all mistakes that were brought up. There was one thing he didn’t do, which was about offi cers’ conduct. He didn’t do anything about that until the last meeting on Monday (Sept 22).I have asked him on many occasions – many occasions – why were no offi cers suspended, when there is gross incompetence on the part of one or more offi cers. I went through the Audit report with Steven Jones.

One of the main concerns for me was that disciplinary action was needed. I asked why one member of staff had not been suspended and he told me he was not going to suspend him. So that was that! His reply was that he was not going to suspend him even though I know for a fact that Jon Haswell (now Head of Finance) and Kerry MacDermott (Head of Revenue Services) in the same circumstances would have suspended the member of staff concerned.”

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Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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News

Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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