FORMER Senedd Members should be permanently banned from judging the conduct of old colleagues, Wales’ top lawyer has suggested – contradicting plans in a new recall bill.

The recall bill includes a two-year cooling-off period before former Senedd politicians can become “lay” members of a committee which recommends sanctions for misbehaviour.

But Julie James, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, argued the disqualification should be for life to overcome public cynicism.

She made the comments on Monday November 17 while giving evidence on plans to introduce a system of recall, which would allow voters to remove politicians between elections.

Under the bill, for the first time, lay members would be appointed to the Senedd’s standards of conduct committee but – unlike in other parliaments – this could include former members.

Douglas Bain, the standards commissioner who investigates complaints about Senedd Members, has warned two years is too short and called for a four-year ban.

But Ms James went further, telling the legislation committee former Senedd politicians should not be able to sit as lay members in judgement of their old colleagues at all.

She told Senedd Members: “For what it’s worth, as a personal thing, not speaking as the counsel general, I think it should be a permanent disqualification.

“I think you would be permanently thought of as being in whatever camp you’d been in when you were elected – and that’s just a personal view, it’s not a government view.

“But, I can see, if you’re trying to overcome cynicism and so on, the idea that that person is now non-aligned and independent is difficult.”

Asked about the rationale for including the proposed two-year cooling-off period in the bill, the former solicitor told Senedd Members: “I mean it’s a place to start if I’m honest.”

She said the two-year prohibition aligns with the qualification requirements for the standards commissioner as well as rules on ministers taking jobs after politics.

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, warned: “The degree of perceived conflict of interest here is possibly even greater because you’re being appointed not just to any external organisation but to the sub-committee of an institution you were a member of.”

Ms James concluded: “If you’ve been an elected member of the Senedd, you shouldn’t be allowed to be a lay member of one of its committees because, frankly, I don’t think you’d ever be regarded as ‘lay’ by anyone.”

She stressed ministers are walking a fine constitutional line – seeking to establish a legal framework without dictating internal rules to the Senedd – and she suggested the Welsh Government was open to amendments.

She said: “We felt very strongly that we shouldn’t start from the point of view of the government telling the [Senedd] commission how to conduct its business.”

Alun Davies, a Labour member of the legislation committee, raised concerns about plans to create election-related offences, including around false or misleading statements of fact.

Mr Davies warned the can was being kicked down the road, saying: “We’re being asked here to put on the statute book a duty to create an offence which itself isn’t defined.

He added: “But that feels like an extraordinarily unsatisfactory way of making law… It does not feel like we’re creating a serious piece of law here.”

Ms James told her colleague: “It’s for the next government and the parliamentary authorities to define that offence, yes.”

Mr Davies said: “You’re going to wish your successors well with this, I trust,” drawing a laugh from the counsel general.

Senedd Members heard an existing criminal offence on false statements during elections would be widened beyond a narrow focus on the character or conduct of another candidate.

But Ms James highlighted the need to “insulate” a bill “right on the edge” of devolved powers, saying: “We need to make sure we don’t push it so far that the whole thing fails.”

She warned the final vote on the bill would fall on the last government sitting day of term, with royal assent before dissolution on April 8 but after the Senedd rises at Easter.

She said the tight timetable means the bill would instantly fail if the UK Government was to refer the question of whether it is within the Senedd’s powers to the Supreme Court.

The counsel general told the committee: “We’re very keen that that doesn’t happen so we are perhaps being hyper-cautious about it.”

THERE ARE no current plans to use a Pembrokeshire military training camp to accommodate asylum seekers, the Home Office has said.

Last week, concerns about the potential use of the Castlemartin Training Camp were raised by local Senedd member Samuel Kurtz MS, who wrote to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, seeking urgent assurances following reports the camp could be used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, Samuel Kurtz also raised the issue directly with Welsh Ministers, who confirmed that the Welsh Labour Government has had “no contact” with the UK Government regarding any proposals for Castlemartin.

In his letter, Samuel Kurtz warned that any move to repurpose the site would have serious implications for national defence and local services.

“Castlemartin is one of the United Kingdom’s few facilities capable of hosting live firing exercises at battlegroup level,” he said. “It provides vital training for our armed forces, and any restriction on its use would represent a serious loss of national defence capability at a critical time.”

The MS also raised concerns about the suitability of the location for residential use.

“Castlemartin’s rural setting and limited infrastructure make it completely inappropriate for large scale accommodation. Local health and public services in Pembrokeshire are already stretched, and access to transport and amenities is limited,” he added.

“The site would likely be serviced by local GP practices, such as Argyle Medical Group, where there are already concerns in the community that access to these services is inefficient.”

In the letter, Samuel Kurtz called on the Home Office to rule out the use of Castlemartin, and the nearby Penally Camp, for asylum accommodation, and to ensure full consultation with the Welsh Government, local authorities and elected representatives before any decisions are taken about the use of military or public land in Pembrokeshire.

After the concerns were raised, the Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted the Home Office for a response to concerns raised.

A spokesman for the Home Office, in a short response, stated to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that, despite fears raised, there were no current plans to use the site.

Pembrokeshire has previously seen military facilities used to house asylum seekers.

Penally camp, which has been in existence since 1860 as a military training facility, was prominent in the headlines between October 2020 and March 2021 when it became the controversial base for asylum seekers.

Amid protests from inside and outside its gates, the camp housed up to 250 asylum seekers at the height of its occupancy.

It came under fire from its residents and independent inspectors for its poor living conditions.

After the last of the asylum seekers departed, it was handed back to the MoD by the Home Office, who had previously repurposed it; the camp itself closed in late 2022.

A PEMBROKESHIRE deer farm park attraction, which has expanded with several developments recently approved by councillors despite repeated officer recommendations of refusal, is now on the market for a cool £4m.

Great Wedlock Farm and Deer Park, at Gumfreston, some three miles from Tenby, is being marketed through estate agents Fox Grant with a guide price of £4m.

“Great Wedlock Farm and Deer Park were established in 2020 by the current owner, has invested well to create a viable business situated an easy drive from Tenby or Saundersfoot, meaning that it is an established tourist destination in the summer months for families,” it says.

Among the assets it lists:

• An Established and Popular Tourist Attraction. Set in 173 Acres.
• 5 Bedroom Farmhouse, 3 Bedrooms En Suite.
• Deer Barn: Café, Shop and Buggy Park
• Cinema Barn: Cinema, Tractor Maze & Soft Play.
• Stone Barn: Golf Putting with second part for restoration.
• The Makers Market Barn with Trader Stalls, store & toilets.
• Planning permission for 15 holiday homes.
• Agricultural barn, Further outbuilding and workshop.
• Deer Fencing all round.
• 2 miles fenced walk, parking for 200 cars
• Outside Playground with some 28 pieces including gym equipment.
• Planning for Event Centre.
• Outside seating for 100.
• Amazing views across the Bristol Channel.
• Perfect for wind turbines, subject to planning permission.
• Monopolistic Trading Position

Since the June 2022 approval of the deer park attraction itself, there have been further applications by Mr and Mrs Evans of Great Wedlock, both repeatedly recommended for refusal by officers, and both ultimately approved by full council after being repeatedly backed by the planning committee.

In December 2023, a change of use of a former agricultural barn to a trading barn for up to 35 traders selling local produce and crafts was approved by approved by 43 votes to one, against officer concerns including the potential for negative impacts on the existing provision of local shops in nearby rural settlements.

In May of this year, plans for 15 disability-friendly holiday lodges, a scheme the applicants had previously priced at some £2.3m to develop, were approved.

At the time local member Cllr Rhys Jordan said the material considerations of “ethically right and economically sound” sustainable tourism and the disability-friendly lodges outweighed officers’ reasons for refusal, which included it was outside of an identified settlement boundary in a countryside location, and was considered to have an adverse impact on visual amenity.

Fox Grant says of the site now up for sale: “The organic pastureland is grazed by the deer, which consist of three breeds: Red Deer, White Red Deer and Fallow Deer, during the summer months, there is the option for tourist to go on Deer Safaris in the buggies, after paying the entrance fee.”