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Politics

Alarm over ‘light-touch’ response after £750k museum row

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SENEDD Members criticised the Welsh Government’s new “light-touch” approach to oversight after a feud involving senior museum managers cost taxpayers more than £750,000.

Mark Isherwood raised alarm about the response to the dispute between Roger Lewis and David Anderson, the former Museum Wales president and director-general respectively.

Mr Isherwood, who chairs the public accounts committee, warned the Welsh Government’s new “light-touch” model for reviewing public bodies could lead to similar issues elsewhere.

The Tory criticised a decision to pause tailored reviews of arm’s-length bodies in the wake of the Museum Wales settlement, which cost the public purse £757,613 amid claims of bullying.

“To then move to self-assessment of public bodies is wrong when this has instead illustrated the need for more rigorous audit controls,” he told the Senedd.

Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price echoed his concerns, adding: “Surely we should be going in the opposite direction. What we need to have is more rigorous auditing, overview and oversight.”

Leading a debate on a report into the dispute, Mr Isherwood said the public accounts committee was extremely concerned by wholly unsatisfactory grievance procedures.

He said seeking to settle was preferable to an employment tribunal, which would have cost north of £1m, but the committee was dissatisfied with the rationale for the figure arrived at.

He warned: “Indeed, the auditor general for Wales concludes that the museum had not been able to demonstrate that it acted in the best interests of the public purse.”

Mr Isherwood, who represents North Wales, criticised ministerial advice that did not set out the cost of the settlement, placing the then-culture minister in an “invidious” position.

Mr Price told Senedd Members the prolonged internal dispute at Museum Wales resulted in paralysis of decision-making processes for many years.

He said: “Despite awareness of serious failures of governance since, I believe, 2020, the Welsh Government’s intervention lacked timeliness, transparency and allowed it to fester.”

Mr Price pointed to similar governance problems at other public bodies, including Sport Wales, Natural Resources Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr health board and fire services.

He warned: “That is eroding public trust, which means that public services cannot be delivered in the way that they should be. And so we need to strengthen the governance frameworks. We need not a system of self-assessment.”

The former Plaid Cymru leader questioned the decision to appoint Mr Lewis, the former museum and WRU president, to lead a review of Cadw following the row.

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan, who worked at the museum until 2021, criticised ministers’ “hands-off” approach, suggesting lessons were not learned from Sport Wales in 2017.

She denounced the Welsh Government’s “inadequate” response to the report, which rejected a recommendation to urgently review arm’s-length bodies’ grievance policies.

Ms Fychan said: “This is a very important report and a sad reflection and a very sad chapter, not only in the history of Amgueddfa Cymru but also the Welsh Government.”

Responding to the debate on November 27, Jack Sargeant, who was appointed culture minister in September, was confident lessons have been learned.

He said a comprehensive review of the “Managing Welsh public money” guidance, which has not been updated since 2018, should be completed by December 2025.

Business

Welsh Government rejects Council’s tourism tax plea

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THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has rejected a request from Pembrokeshire County Council to reconsider its 182-night rule on holiday letting.

In a letter to the local authority from Wales’s Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Government said it would not reconsider its approach until it had two years’ data on its effects.

The Labour government introduced the 182-night rule to target property owners who casually rent properties and pay neither the increased Council Tax premium on second homes nor Small Business Rates. By encouraging owners to release properties onto the for-sale market, the government wants to increase the availability of homes in Wales’s holiday hotspots. It’s a blunt tool, and there have been predictable but unforeseen consequences (at least by the Welsh Government). The rule’s introduction has reduced the number of properties upon which owners pay either the enhanced rate of Council Tax for second homes or pay business rates.

A LETTER TO MARK

On October 17, Pembrokeshire’s county councillors instructed the Council leader to write to the Welsh Government asking for a reduction in the 182-night rule.

Although councillors agreed an increase in the previous threshold was welcome, many felt the letting target was too high for many viable businesses.

The letter to the Welsh Government said: “Whilst 182 days is certainly achievable in some of our main tourist towns such as Tenby, Saundersfoot, and Newport, it was very difficult to achieve this in other parts of the county, particularly away from the sea.”

The letter said the rule is having a detrimental effect on Pembrokeshire’s vital tourism industry.

Council Leader Jon Harvey’s letter also said: “We do not wish to implement any local policy decisions that would conflict with Welsh Government, and, as such, I am formally writing to you to ask the Welsh Government to consider reducing the 182 days let threshold for self-catering properties to qualify for Non-Domestic Rates.”

DRAKEFORD SAYS “NO”

In a reply from Mark Drakeford, which was circulated to all Council members, the Welsh Government refused to reconsider its position ahead of the next tourism season.

Mr Drakeford said: “The primary aims of our changes to local taxes are to ensure property owners are making a fair contribution and to maximise the use of property to the benefit of local communities. This could include benefits arising from increased occupancy for short-term letting or the release of some properties for sale or rent as permanent homes for local people.

“As a consequence of the changes, self-catering properties are classed as non-domestic only if they are being used for business purposes for the majority of the year. This provides a clearer demonstration that the properties concerned are being let regularly and are making a substantial contribution to the local economy.”

Mr Drakeford claimed that information from businesses engaged in holiday letting showed the Welsh Government’s approach was having the effects Cardiff Bay desired. That seems contrary to data provided by the Wales Tourism Alliance and the figures produced for Pembrokeshire County Council’s budget.

Confirming the Welsh Government has no plans to reconsider its position, Mark Drakeford said: “We understand that there may be a period of adjustment, as some property owners consider their options and determine how to respond. It will be important to allow time for the changes to embed before drawing any firm conclusions.

“The initial impact on the number of self-catering properties classified as non-domestic will be known after April 2025, when two years will have elapsed since the changes took effect. This is when the Valuation Office Agency is expected to have completed a full round of routine compliance checks.”

Claiming that reconsidering the position would cause “uncertainty” in the private letting sector, Mr Drakeford wrote: “There are no plans to undertake a formal review in the short-term, nor in isolation from the broader package of measures within our three-pronged approach to tackling the impact that large numbers of second homes and holiday lets can have on communities and the Welsh language.”

That’s not only a “no”, it’s a “no” with knobs on.

YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED

Mark Drakeford doubled down on his “no” by claiming Pembrokeshire County Council already had all the tools it needed to address the problems caused by the tourism tax.

He said: “We have extended the exceptions to council tax premiums to include properties with a planning condition which specifies that the property may only be used as a holiday let or prevents its permanent occupation as a person’s sole or main residence. We have also provided

guidance for local authorities on the use of discretion to tailor their arrangements to reflect local circumstances.”

Quite how designating a property for a holiday let allows its release onto the local housing market where homes for local families are in short supply is unaddressed.

The Finance Secretary continues: “Where a self-catering property does not meet the letting criteria and is not subject to a planning condition, the Welsh Government has provided local authorities with as much discretion as possible to consider the approach to take for the benefit of your communities.

“We consider our local taxation regime will help local authorities to incentivise the right balance between capacity within the self-catering tourism sector, and [its[ economic benefits and supporting viable communities of local residents to live and work in these areas.”

If, as Mark Drakeford claims, Pembrokeshire County Council has all the powers and options it needs to address the issue, there will, no doubt, be a flood of information coming from the Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Joshua Beynon, to show members precisely where the rabbit that should be in the hat is hidden.

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News

Pembrokeshire County Council prepares for severe weather impact

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THE COUNCIL says it has initiated emergency preparedness plans as the county braces for severe weather conditions this weekend. Additional staff are on standby to tackle potential issues across the highways network and in local communities.

Key measures announced include:

  • Facility closures: All council-operated facilities, including leisure centres, libraries, parkland, and Waste and Recycling Centres, will remain closed on Saturday, December 7.
  • Public transport suspension: Bus services will be halted, and Transport for Wales has been informed of the disruption.
  • Cleddau Bridge restrictions: High-sided vehicles are advised to avoid the Cleddau Bridge, which may face a full closure overnight and throughout Saturday due to high winds.
  • Emergency shelter: An emergency night shelter has been opened and will remain operational until Monday, December 9, to support those in need.
  • Community support: Care providers and care homes have implemented contingency plans to safeguard Pembrokeshire’s most vulnerable residents.

The council urges residents to remain vigilant and stay updated via Pembrokeshire County Council’s social media channels over the weekend.

For more information and updates, monitor local news outlets.

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News

Welsh Conservatives elect new leader

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CLWYD WEST Member of the Senedd (MS) Darren Millar has been elected unopposed as the new leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd.

Millar’s appointment follows unanimous public endorsements from all 15 of his colleagues in the Welsh Parliament. The nomination period for the leadership role closed at 5:00pm today.

Commenting on the election, Bernard Gentry, Chairman of the Welsh Conservative Party, said:
“I am pleased to announce that Darren Millar MS has been elected unopposed as the new Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Welsh Parliament.

“In recent months, we’ve been winning numerous local government by-elections across Wales, and our action days have recruited hundreds of new volunteers and activists. Working together as one united party under Darren, Mims, and myself, I am confident we can achieve further success at the Senedd elections in 2026 and bring to an end the quarter of a century of Labour rule.

“I wish Darren every success as he takes the helm.”

The newly elected leader, Darren Millar MS, expressed gratitude for the support he has received:
“I am humbled by the incredible support of my colleagues in the Senedd and the kind messages I have received from Conservative Party members and members of the public across the country.

“Andrew RT Davies will be a difficult act to follow, but I am determined to build on his legacy as we take the fight to our political opponents in the run-up to the Senedd elections in 2026.

“After 25 years of Labour failure, Wales is crying out for hope and change. I look forward to setting out our plans to deliver just that in the weeks and months to come.”

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