News

Is the Audit Committee ‘fit for purpose’?

Published

11 years ago

February 5, 2015

AT LAST Friday’s (Jan 16) Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Bob Kilmister questioned whether or not the Council’s Audit Committee was fit for purpose.

Cllr Kilmister raised the issue during discussions on authority arrangements to support safeguarding of children.

The Wales Audit Office has put forward three proposals they think will help improve safeguarding; the second of those is to strengthen the link between the Audit Committee and other Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Jeremy Evans from the Wales Audit Office said: “The second proposal is to strengthen the links between the Audit Committee and overview and scrutiny committees. This is something that is broader than just this committee; it’s for all of the overview and scrutiny committees to have better links with the Audit Committee. There needs to be some sort of mechanism put in place where the Audit Committee refers specific risks to the appropriate overview and scrutiny committee.”

Cllr Bob Kilmister challenged Jeremy asking: “Do you think that our Audit Committee arrangements are fit for purpose?”

Jeremy Evans replied: “There is no specific review in terms of what they are doing. We have observed some of the meetings. There is a slightly more complicated arrangement to your Corporate Governance Committee. There is potentially work to do for those two committees.”

Cllr Kilmister added: “This report is something we should be taking on board extremely seriously. Since we started the Audit Committee I have been very concerned about the way it is set up. We need to look at this in a totally different way. The structure is wrong, it is out of date. The committee structures that we’ve got are so old now they are coming to the point where I don’t think they are fit for purpose any longer. This report is something that we can’t influence. What it highlights is the constitutional working party that we’ve got doesn’t work. It’s absolutely urgent that we do something about this because we are frankly not fit for purpose. What we’re doing isn’t good enough at the present moment. It’s a criticism of all the councillors here that we need to make sure that what we do is good value for money.”

Cllr Sue Perkins added: “We should look at how we do things all the time. I agree that some of our committee structures should be looked at and I agree that the Audit Committee should be one of them. We have reached a stage where, after being in this format for a while, that it should be looked at.”

Cllr Kilmister then put forward a recommendation saying: “We should write a letter to the leader saying that we are unable to do anything as it stands, but we agree with the conclusion and would like to see urgent action taken to address that particular issue.”

Cllr Ken Rowlands added: “As chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, I will be discussing these matters with officers, come up with concerns that have been expressed and come to a conclusion so that these things are properly addressed. Things are changing all the time and we have to adjust as time goes on and I think it is time we did it now.”

Cllr Mike James said: “As vice chair of the audit committee I would like to say that we have been concentrating on one item. Maybe going forward the agenda will be bigger but that doesn’t mean that I don’t agree that things should be looked at.”

Jeremy Evans said: “We have often said that this committee’s activities are good examples of effective scrutiny. From your perspective you’re definitely on the right path of delivering what you need to do.”

Crime

Merlins Bridge man denies six child sex assault charges

Published

20 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Trial date set for July following Crown Court appearance

A MERLINS BRIDGE man has denied six charges of sexually assaulting children following a hearing at Swansea Crown Court.

Dion Lewtas, aged 29, of St Marks Close, appeared before the court on Monday (Feb 23), where he pleaded not guilty to six offences of sexual assault of girls aged under thirteen.

The charges relate to alleged incidents in Milford Haven between August 2021 and August 2023.

The girls were aged between nine and eleven years old, the prosecution alleges.

Lewtas had previously appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on January 20, when the case was sent to Swansea Crown Court.

He was released on bail. A trial date has been set for July 17.

Crime

Haverfordwest man guilty of raping his own sister

Published

1 hour ago

February 23, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A MAN from Haverfordwest has been convicted of raping his sister when she was under the age of 16.

The offences took place between 31 July and 7 August 1988 at Castle Lake Car Park in the town, when the defendant was in his 20’s.

Following a trial at Swansea Crown Court, the man was found guilty on two counts: rape of a female under 16 and indecent assault on a girl under 16, both contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

The jury returned the verdicts after hearing evidence over several days, including the complainant’s account of the incident which happened nearly 38 years ago.

The case was reported to police in December 2023.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect the identity of the complainant, will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, 23 March 2026.

This conviction highlights that reports of historic sexual offences continue to be thoroughly investigated and brought before the courts, no matter how much time has passed.

After the case the complainant said: “The day that I thought would never happen happened, something that I have carried with me for nearly 40 years has finally been heard.

“I seriously; can not explain how I feel right now, but a very heavy weight has finally been lifted.”

Anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse can contact the police on 101 or seek support through specialist services such as Rape Crisis or Victim Support.

Health

Senedd debate called on NHS crisis as Welsh Conservatives demand emergency action

Published

2 hours ago

February 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Row intensifies over waiting times, A&E pressures and hospital service changes

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have brought forward a Senedd debate this week calling for a national health emergency to be declared, as concerns grow over waiting times and pressure on NHS services in Wales.

Latest figures show around 580,000 patient pathways are currently waiting for treatment — equivalent to almost one in four people in Wales. More than 5,200 pathways have been waiting over two years to start treatment, compared with 223 in England.

Data also indicates a rise in the number of patients waiting more than twelve hours in emergency departments, alongside worsening ambulance response times for the most serious “Red” calls.

The motion, due to be debated on Wednesday (Feb 25), argues that NHS performance in Wales remains among the worst in the UK for waiting times and access to treatment, and calls for urgent system-wide action to restore performance and public confidence.

Proposals include reopening closed community hospital wards to improve patient flow, increasing bed capacity, expanding surgical hubs and diagnostic services, improving GP access, and establishing a dedicated NHS Wales recovery team.

The Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Secretary, Peter Fox MS said: “Labour’s health strategy is failing in real time — waiting lists are growing, emergency care is deteriorating, and patients are paying the price.

“After 27 years of Labour running the Welsh NHS, excuses are no longer good enough. The Welsh Conservatives have a clear plan to restore performance, cut waiting times and deliver the timely care people across Wales deserve.”

The Conservatives are also calling for the Welsh Government to end the use of corridor care and designate twelve-hour waits in emergency departments as “never events”.

The debate comes amid fresh controversy in west Wales following a decision by Hywel Dda University Health Board to remove emergency general surgery from Withybush Hospital as part of wider service changes. The move has prompted strong political reaction and renewed concerns about travel times and access to care for rural communities, although the Health Board says the changes are intended to improve safety and sustainability.

The Welsh Government has previously said NHS Wales is facing significant pressures following the pandemic, including workforce shortages and rising demand linked to an ageing population. Ministers say record levels of funding are being invested in health services and that reducing the longest waits remains a priority, although they acknowledge performance is not yet where they want it to be.

Health is expected to remain one of the central political battlegrounds ahead of the next Senedd election, with opposition parties increasingly critical of performance while ministers point to wider pressures affecting health systems across the UK.

The debate is expected to begin at around 4:30pm on Wednesday.