News

Audit Committee Chair quits

Published

11 years ago

June 27, 2014

A SMALL item of news on the County Council’s website is all the local authority has placed on the record about the departure of John Evans MBE, the lay chair of the Council’s Audit Committee.

The announcement invited people to put themselves forward to be a lay member of the Council’s Audit Committee with a closing date for applications of 8th July and directing applicants to write to the Council’s CEO in application. The announcement made no mention of Mr Evans’ resignation, neither did it thank him for his service nor his contribution to the Council’s scrutiny mechanism. John Evans MBE had been in post since September 2012. A senior Council official told The Herald that Mr Evans had not endeared himself to Council officers allegedly “used to getting their own way” by trying to bring some of the rigour and discipline of his successful business background to bear on the Council’s audit machinery. John Evans, who lives in Saundersfoot, received his MBE in 2004 for services to the electronics industry. Described by Bloomberg Business as “a pivotal figure in consumer electronics manufacturing, with over 30 years top-level experience”, Mr Evans is known to have strong views about the rewards the Council pays to its top officers. In February 2011 the Tenby Observer carried a letter from Mr Evans in which he detailed ways in which the Council could cut costs by freezing Councillors’ allowances, cutting the pay of top earners and abolishing the post of Chief Executive Officer, suggesting a more appropriate level of salary for the post would be around £70,000. Bryn Parry Jones received over £200,000 in remuneration and unlawful “pay supplements” from the local authority in the year to April 2012. Mr Evans is understood to have handed his letter of resignation to controversial CEO Bryn Parry Jones after a key meeting of the Audit Committee was postponed. Cllr Mike Stoddart told the Herald: “Although the grants schemes in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock have now been referred to the police, at Mr Evans’ insistence the audit committee was pressing on with its probe into the administration of those grants which are outside the criminal investigation. “The committee was due to consider a report on this subject by the Council’s internal auditors at a meeting on 29 May, but that was cancelled without explanation. “I hear on the grapevine that the reason for the cancellation was to give the Director of Development Dr Steven Jones, the opportunity to answer any criticisms of his department and explain what steps were being taken to correct any flaws in the current procedures. “That meeting had been rescheduled for later this month but, following Mr Evans’ departure, it will not now take place because there is a statutory requirement that the audit committee must have at least one lay member. “So, during the time it takes for the council to advertise the post and appoint a replacement, the committee is in limbo – possibly until September.” Mr Evans’ resignation is a blow to those who are seeking to hold the Council to account for the shambolic organization of grants schemes in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. December’s County Council meeting in which the IPPG leadership attempted to prevent scrutiny of the Council’s conduct of the grant schemes by smearing those seeking to get at the truth, was followed in January by the Audit Committee under Mr Evans launching a wideranging investigation into the schemes. At that meeting, John Evans MBE confirmed that not only would Audit Committee members have access to the previously secret documents, but that all Councillors would have the opportunity to scrutinise the material. A step which went beyond the very limited request for access made by Cllr Stoddart in December. Shortly after that investigation was launched, Cllrs Mike Stoddart and Jacob Williams provided evidence gathered from the documents to the then Director of Finance Mark Lewis. The material handed over suggested that a contractor had received preferential treatment in relation to one development in the Town Heritage Initiative. After delay until after a Council meeting due to discuss the unlawful pay supplements made to its CEO, the Council referred the alleged irregularities to the Police and they continue to be under investigation. Concerns raised at the time that some of the files made available to Council members to inspect had been “filleted”, were sharpened when it emerged that the Council’s European Manager, Gwyn Evans (no relation), who has overall responsibility for the Commercial Property Grants Scheme, had carefully re-written the record of grants panel meetings to suggest greater caution and scrutiny of proposed developments than was actually the case. Gwyn Evans has been the subject of the Council’s internal disciplinary procedure as a result and is at risk of further action from the Information Commissioner in relation to his law-breaking. We asked the Council for a copy of John Evans’ MBE’s letter of resignation, but were told that it is not the Council’s to publish. A request made before last week’s edition made direct to CEO Bryn Parry Jones was met with the news that he is on holiday until the end of the month and unable to respond. Speculation is mounting as to the letter’s content and the opinions the usually direct Mr Evans expressed within it. The Council seems determined to draw a veil over the reasons behind the departure of the genuinely distinguished chair of a key Council committee and speculation is mounting as to what he said in his letter of resignation. Certainly, the low-key way the Council is going about replacing John Evans MBE suggests that it is now seeking a rather more biddable person who will not rock the boat and ask too many awkward questions.

News

Pembrokeshire County Councillor Andrew Edwards resigns suddenly

Published

21 mins ago

December 30, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of PembroTHE CHIEF executive of Pembrokeshire County Council, Will Bramble, has released a statement announcing that Cllr Andrew Edwards has resigned for personal reasons. A notice of a casual vacancy will be published today (Dec 30).

The Pembrokeshire Herald contacted Cllr Edwards, who issued the following statement:

“Family matters have made my position as a county councillor untenable.

“I have therefore decided to resign from the council, as I feel unable to carry out my duties to the standard I would wish at this time.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff and fellow councillors who have supported me during my tenure.

“I wish the very best to my successor, who I am confident will serve the community with dedication.

“This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it is in the best interests of those I represent.”

Edwards, a barber, has served on the council since May 2022.

In April 2023, the Conservative councillor referred himself to the Public Services Ombudsman following the emergence of a recording in which he appeared to make offensive remarks suggesting all white men should have a black slave. However, it was later suggested that the recording may have been artificially generated using AI to discredit him.

Health

Hospital visiting precautions in place ‘to protect patients’

Published

29 mins ago

December 30, 2024

Tom Sinclair

VISITORS to hospitals across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire are being asked to only attend if they are free of any potential flu-like symptoms, or any sickness or diarrhoea. Additionally, they may be requested to wear face masks before entry to certain wards or departments.

Seasonal flu and winter vomiting viruses are affecting patients on several wards with infection prevention and control actions being taken, as necessary.

Visitors are asked to only come to see their loved ones if they are free of any infections, to wash hands before leaving home and clean hands on arrival at the hospital/ward using the hand sanitiser. Visitors may also be asked to wear face masks/coverings on the ward/department they are visiting. Masks will be available at the hospital entrance or can be provided on affected wards.

There are additional restrictions in place that limit visitors to:

Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. Please discuss individual patient visiting arrangements at AMAU with the nurse in charge.
This arrangement will be reviewed daily, and restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible. The health board’s website will be updated daily with details of wards with enhanced restrictions on visiting.

Janice Cole Williams, Assistant Director of Nursing at Hywel Dda University Health Board
said: “Within affected wards, all staff are wearing masks and visiting is limited at Prince Philip Hospital’s AMAU to help stop spread of infection.

“Our local community can help us avoid outbreaks of infection by not visiting family and friends in hospital if they are feeling unwell themselves.

“Annual flu vaccination is also undoubtedly the best way to protect against catching or spreading flu. Not only can it prevent you from becoming very unwell, it can also help reduce your risk of secondary infections such as pneumonia, which can be dangerous if you are clinically vulnerable.”

Vaccination centres are open, with no appointment needed today (Monday), until 5.30pm and tomorrow, Tuesday, December 31 for all people eligible for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes children aged two years (on 31 August 2024) to those in year 11 who can access the nasal flu vaccine at the centres.

Drop in any time between 9.15am and 5.30pm to your nearest vaccination centre:

Aberaeron (Aberaeron Integrated Care Centre, Vicarage Hill, Aberaeron, SA46 0DY)
Llanelli (Unit 2a, Dafen Industrial Estate, Heol Cropin, SA14 8QW)
Neyland (Unit 1 Honeyborough Retail Park, SA73 1SE)
The following groups are eligible for vaccination:

Flu vaccination

Children aged two and three years on 31 August 2024 
Children in primary school from reception class to year 6 (inclusive)  
Children in secondary school from year 7 to year 11 (inclusive)   
People aged six months to 64 years in clinical risk groups   
People aged 65 years and older (age on 31 March 2024)   
Pregnant women  
Carers aged 16 and over 
People aged six months to 65 years who live with someone who has a weakened immune system   
People with a learning disability  
Frontline health and social care workers  
All staff working in care homes with regular client contact
Poultry workers at high risk
COVID-19 vaccination

People aged six months to 64 years with a long-term health condition (which includes pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system)
Residents in a care home for older adults
People aged 65 years and older (age on 31 March 2025)
Unpaid carers
Frontline health and social care workers
Staff working in care homes for older adults
If you have any questions about accessing the flu and/or COVID-19 vaccine, please phone the health board on 0300 303 8322 option 1 or email: [email protected]

Business

Welsh firms expect brighter profits in 2025

Published

11 hours ago

December 30, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MORE than three-quarters (79%) of Welsh businesses expect greater profitability in 2025, a significant increase from 69% recorded in December 2023, according to Lloyds’ Business Barometer.

The survey also revealed that 73% of firms anticipate a rise in turnover next year. Of those, nearly a third (32%) predict revenue growth of between six and 10%, while over a quarter (26%) expect even higher gains.

Profitability remains the top priority for 55% of businesses, followed closely by staff upskilling (43%) and productivity improvements (33%). Additionally, 17% of firms aim to enhance their technology, including automation and AI, while 18% are focused on improving environmental sustainability.

To achieve these goals, more than a third (35%) of Welsh businesses plan to invest in staff training, with 29% allocating resources towards research and development (R&D) of new products or services.

The Lloyds Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and has been running since 2002, provides valuable insights into regional and national economic trends.

Sam Noble, Regional Director for Wales at Lloyds, said: “Welsh businesses are looking ahead to the new year with ambitious plans. While uncertainties remain, these strategies will help them achieve growth and strengthen their resilience against potential challenges. As they move forward, we’ll continue to stand by them with our support.”