News

Senedd Covid-19 committee branded ‘not fit for any purpose’ by bereaved families

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2024

BEREAVED families have described a Senedd Covid-19 committee as “not fit for any purpose” amid concerns about duplication and a lack of engagement.

The Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee, co-chaired by Labour’s Joyce Watson and the Tories’ Tom Giffard, was set up to identify gaps in the UK public inquiry.

However, committee members have so far held two briefings with academics from English universities on civil contingencies – an area covered by the UK inquiry.

The committee argues work on identifying gaps can only begin when the UK Covid-19 inquiry reports, so it is gathering expert advice in the interim.

But Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who leads Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, said the gaps are already clear from six weeks of evidence to the judge-led UK inquiry.

Criticising the committee’s suggestion that it will “play it by ear”, she added that the UK inquiry reports are hardly going to identify gaps in its own processes.

She said the academic briefings seem like duplication rather than gap analysis, arguing the public purse should not be footing the bill for bringing MSs up to speed.

A stakeholder event, held in the Welsh Parliament on January 23, was scheduled for an hour-and-a-half but cut short to 45 minutes, leaving families with unanswered questions.

Ms Marsh-Rees, from Abergavenny, whose father died after catching the virus in hospital, criticised a lack of meaningful engagement so far.

She said the committee has failed to fully utilise families’ expertise as core participants in the UK inquiry, raising concerns they have been treated like an annoyance by the committee.

Ms Marsh-Rees stressed the campaign group is not trying to be difficult, saying: “I keep telling them all: we are not doing this for fun – we are doing this to get answers.”

Sam Smith-Higgins, a fellow campaigner, who also lost her father to hospital-acquired Covid-19, said families are in no way at the heart of the committee’s work.

She urged the Senedd to look to the example of the safety net offered by Scotland’s inquiry.

Ms Smith-Higgins said: “In no way is this committee a replacement for a judge-led public inquiry and they do not have the skills or resources to pretend that they can scrutinise anything that comes from the UK inquiry.”

The campaigner described a January 30 briefing as a Btec in civil contingencies, saying: “The worst part of it was they were clearly very focused on the UK Government.

“They didn’t know much about the Welsh Government at all.”

Ms Marsh-Rees cautioned that the Senedd committee heard incorrect advice from academics which risks undermining the UK inquiry.

She said: “It feels to us that this committee isn’t looking at the gaps, it’s almost preparing for the report so it can then defend the Welsh Government.

“There’s much less scrutiny of Wales than the UK, yet they’re even undermining that.”

The committee has met in private four times since it was established in May 2023, with the next meetings on February 20 and March 19 set to be held behind closed doors too.

Ms Smith-Higgins warned that independent scrutiny is non-existent in Wales, saying families felt despondent after witnessing the work of the “ill-thought-out” committee.

She contrasted this with the forensic approach of the UK inquiry, which will sit in Cardiff three weeks from today on February 27.

“It’s like something out of The Vicar of Dibley,” she said, referring to the Wales committee. “It’s just pathetic. Nothing would make me happier than for them to just bin it.”

Warning that the memories of lost loved ones are being “papered over”, she said: “Having listened to what we have listened to so far, it’s better to have nothing than this committee.

“When you’ve got witnesses giving incorrect advice and undermining the UK inquiry, it’s better to have no committee. They are completely wasting their time, our money.”

Ms Marsh-Rees was disappointed when no Labour MSs turned up to a briefing that the bereaved families organised at the Senedd on January 16.

She said: “They should be proud that volunteers are trying to put Wales on the map in a UK inquiry – a UK inquiry they wanted. We have done our best to make sure Wales has parity.”

In a statement, the committee said: “We cannot underestimate the pain and trauma that many across Wales faced throughout the pandemic, and we understand why there is a debate around how in Wales we respond to what happened.

“Our committee has been given a very specific and clear remit, which was agreed by a majority of Members of the Senedd.

“This commits us to looking at the reports of each stage of the UK Covid-19 inquiry, and recommending to the Senedd any gaps that need further examination.

“We can only begin work on identifying these gaps when the UK Covid-19 inquiry reports – the first of which is expected this spring.

“We’ll make sure we involve the public and experts to help us do this. Until then, we are tracking the work of the national inquiry and gathering expert advice to inform our work.

“Those who lost their lives or whose lives were changed forever, and their families, are at the heart of all we are doing.”

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon, marking the start of physical deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock shortly after 4pm on Wednesday, bringing tower sections and other heavy components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, is due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.

The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock. Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

Weather conditions are currently favourable for this morning’s arrival of the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are expected to begin next week, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.

Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.

Local Government

Sewage leak at Pembroke Commons prompts urgent clean-up works

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Council pollution officers say they have no enforcement powers over Welsh Water infrastructure

SEWAGE contamination on the Commons in Pembroke has prompted an urgent response from pollution officers, after a leak was reported by a member of the public on Tuesday.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Pollution Control Team confirmed they were alerted yesterday afternoon to sewage surrounding a manhole cover on the site. The Herald understands that officers immediately notified Welsh Water (DCWW) network technicians to investigate the incident “as a matter of urgency”.

County councillor Jonathan Grimes, who represents Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said the authority had been clear that it holds no enforcement powers over Welsh Water assets.

“Whilst we work constructively with Welsh Water, we have no authority to intervene on their apparatus or to carry out enforcement action against them for such pollution incidents,” the Pollution Control Team said in a statement shared with the councillor.

Urgent works underway

Council officers visited the site on Wednesday morning alongside contractors and Welsh Water technicians to assess clean-up options. According to the team, works will include cleaning the contaminated ground in and around the manhole cover and fencing off the affected area “until safe”.

Cllr Grimes said officers would return to the scene on Thursday to check on progress and ensure the area is properly secured.

Residents who notice any further issues have been urged to contact the Pollution Control Team directly.

Further updates are expected later this week.