THE SENEDD’S standards commissioner has warned a proposed two-year “cooling-off” period for former politicians to sit as “lay” members of a conduct committee is too short.

Douglas Bain gave evidence on Tuesday November 11 on the accountability bill which would create a Senedd “recall” system, allowing voters to remove politicians between elections.

Mr Bain welcomed plans to appoint “lay” members for the first time to the standards committee, which makes sanctions recommendations based on his investigations.

He told Senedd Members: “There must always be a perception that members are entirely marking their own homework and I think the inclusion of independent, suitably qualified members will guard against that, at least to some extent.”

But he expressed concerns about former Senedd Members being eligible to join the committee only two years after standing down or not being returned at an election.

Giving evidence to a newly formed Senedd accountability committee, set up to scrutinise the bill, he said: “I recommended that the period should be four years.

“I think there could well be, after just two years, individuals who had worked closely with the member whose conduct was being considered.

“Even if they were totally unbiased in their approach, I think it sends the wrong signal to the public who might perceive that they had some sort of interest in the matter.”

Mr Bain added: “My own view is a period of four years would remove any reasonable concerns that the person might have inside knowledge of the case under investigation.”

He suggested there would be “no realistic risk” of a conflict of interest after four years and “of course, if there was a conflict it would be up to the member to recuse themselves anyway”.

Meriel Singleton – clerk of the standards committee, which made recommendations to the Welsh Government on accountability, echoed the commissioner’s concerns.

“The committee is of the view that it should be longer than two years,” she said. “But, at the moment, it’s in line with what the standards commissioner’s qualification is.”

Hannah Blythyn, who chairs the committee, added: “If you change one, you change both.”

Under the bill, recall would be subject to a Senedd vote or automatically triggered in the case of a politician receiving a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or less. Sentences of more than 12 months already lead to disqualification.

Mr Bain was against other misconduct, such as harassment, automatically triggering recall.

“I think it would send entirely the wrong message,” he told Senedd Members. “Each case has to be looked at on its individual facts and an appropriate penalty or sanction imposed.”

On moving the threshold to six months, as proposed in Scotland, he said sentences for “almost identical offences vary widely from court to court and judge to judge”.

He told the accountability committee: “Whatever period is imposed is going to be arbitrary.”

Asked about appeals dragging on for months, Mr Bain said: “You can’t discount the possibility that the member concerned might attempt and might be successful in spinning out the process. We’ve certainly seen that in relation to the complaints process.”

He added: “Those of you who were here in the fifth Senedd will recall the very unsavoury tactics from a member which avoided any sanction being imposed on him.”

Mr Bain, who is barred from commenting on open cases, warned the rules governing his office are “well past their sell-by date” and out of kilter with Westminster. “What the public expects and are entitled to has moved on,” he said.

The commissioner said he would envisage new “own-initiative” powers being rarely used to launch investigations without first requiring a complaint as in other parliaments.

He said: “In the seven years of working in the Senedd, I can think of only two occasions on which I would have considered using this power had it been available.

“Both of these were alleged misconduct that had been widely reported… and I think it sends the wrong signal to the public when they read of that and no action is taken…

“Much to my surprise not a single person made a complaint about either of the incidents, perhaps assuming someone else was going to do that. The result was that – as far as the public was concerned – the Senedd condoned what had happened.”

Huw Williams, the Senedd’s chief legal adviser, backed the commissioner’s calls to introduce a new offence, saying: “As a result of experience in an earlier case, we think it would be useful to introduce a formal offence of obstructing the commissioner in his work.

“And there is a reported case where there was an attempt to interfere with witnesses.”

DEMOLITION works for a multi-million-pound scheme to redevelop a derelict Pembrokeshire motel, described as “one of the last true blots on our county’s landscape” have started.

In an application approved by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s May development management committee, Nick Neumann of Newgale Holidays was granted permission to redevelop the former Roch Gate Motel to a mixed commercial and community use hub called ‘The Gate,’ including a village shop/post office, bistro/restaurant, and a tourism development of 18 holiday lodges.

The vacant derelict former motel – dubbed an “eyesore” in previous applications – closed back in 2008 and has a history of later approved planning schemes, including as a bespoke hotel and an affordable housing scheme, but none came to fruition.

Speaking at the May meeting, applicant Nick Neumann, who has become a county councillor since the scheme was first mooted, said: “The former Rochgate Motel located at the gateway to the St Davids Peninsula on the A487 is somewhat famous for the wrong reasons as it remains one of the last true blots on our county’s landscape. Namely the ‘pink palace’ has remained dormant for nearly 20 years slowly deteriorating in condition whilst various proposals have come forward and never materialised.

“The site, originally a former World War 2 radar station which became a commercial premises including motel, restaurant, spa and events facility in the early 1960s, was a much-loved popular venue for nearly 50 years before closing its doors in 2008.

“Today we still receive comments from people who loved the motel back in the day.”

He added: “The proposal will bring a significant multi-million-pound investment into the community, create 18 FTE jobs, restore lost community provisions, and will see the revitalisation of the brownfield site with a new exciting provision to our growing community of Roch.”

Other speakers at the meeting raised their support for the proposals, with former community council chair, and chair of the Nolton and Roch community Land Trust, David Smith saying the scheme would “significantly enhance the convenience and wellbeing of local residents,” as well as creating jobs and would “replace a decaying eyesore that is a blight on the community”.

Current community council chair Michael Harries said the community has been “tarnished by a pink monstrosity eyesore” since the motel closed in 2008.

Speaking as the demolition got underway, Cllr Neumann said: “I’m just happy that we can finally make a start on the project and bring the vision for ‘The Gate’ to life. It’s been nearly three years since we bought the site so it’s great to be finally making a start. Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far.”

Warning that UK prisons ‘could collapse’ if thousands of foreign officers are forced to leave

THE UK prison system could face “collapse” under new visa rules that risk forcing thousands of officers out of work – a warning that could have serious implications for HMP Parc in Bridgend, already struggling with chronic staff shortages and mounting criticism over safety.

Confidential data obtained by ITV News shows more than 2,600 prison staff across England and Wales are foreign nationals working on right-to-work visas.

Under Home Office rules introduced in July, anyone earning below the new £41,700 salary threshold may be unable to renew their visa and could face deportation when it expires.

A source within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service said around 2,200 of those affected are frontline officers, with the rest in administrative and support roles.

Starting salaries for prison officers range from £33,750 to £44,500, meaning many will fall below the new threshold – particularly those based outside London.

The Prison Officers’ Association has warned that the loss of so many experienced officers could “totally destabilise” the prison estate.
National chair Mark Fairhurst said: “We simply cannot afford to lose that many frontline staff. If the government does not exempt the prison service from the new salary thresholds, many prisons will not be able to function.”

The Prison Governors’ Association added that the loss of these workers would “leave a gap that cannot easily be filled,” calling the change “short-sighted and damaging”.

Potential impact on Parc

Although the Home Office has not released prison-by-prison figures, G4S run HMP Parc – Wales’s largest jail housing many prisoners from Pembrokeshire – is believed to recruit beyond the local labour market to fill vacancies.

Inspection reports have repeatedly highlighted problems with staff turnover, reliance on agency officers, and pressures caused by overcrowding and record numbers of deaths in custody.

If even a small number of Parc’s officers were affected by the new visa threshold, insiders warn it could “make a bad situation worse” at a prison already under strain.