News

Welsh Conservatives slam Labour over £14.6m NRW bailout

Published

5 months ago

October 28, 2025

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have accused the Welsh Labour Government of financial mismanagement after confirming a £14.6 million bailout for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) following a major payroll error uncovered by HM Revenue & Customs.

The settlement follows HMRC’s investigation into how NRW classified off-payroll contractors under the IR35 tax rules. The probe found that the public body had misapplied regulations introduced in 2017, leading to a liability of £14.63 million, plus a suspended penalty of nearly £3 million.

In March 2024, the Welsh Government provided a £19 million “payment on account” to cover the expected liability while negotiations were ongoing. That figure was confirmed in a written statement by ministers on October 24, who said the funding would now be recovered from NRW’s future budgets. Officials have described the repayment plan as affordable and designed to “minimise impact on core statutory duties.”

However, opposition parties have condemned the move as another example of waste under Labour’s watch. Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said the decision would inevitably weaken NRW’s ability to tackle pollution and enforce environmental law across Wales.

She said the money which would normally fund vital enforcement work, including monitoring sewage pollution, is now being redirected to cover the cost of NRW’s tax settlement. Finch-Saunders added that Labour’s handling of the matter shows NRW is “not fit for purpose” and raises serious doubts about the government’s capacity to manage its newly announced water regulator.

Natural Resources Wales is the main body responsible for managing forests, rivers, flood defences and biodiversity in Wales. It also regulates water companies such as Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. The watchdog is already under pressure after announcing plans last autumn to make £12 million in savings, including 233 job losses—120 of which involve current posts—as part of a “Case for Change” restructuring programme.

The organisation has cited a projected funding gap of more than £9 million this year, rising to £17 million by 2026-27. Critics say forcing NRW to absorb the tax repayment through budget cuts will deepen that gap and reduce its capacity to respond to pollution incidents, prosecute offenders, and protect the environment.

NRW’s own data shows 155 pollution incidents were recorded from the water sector in 2024, six of which were serious—the highest figure in a decade. With fewer enforcement officers and growing pressure on frontline services, environmental campaigners fear the number could rise further.

Sir David Henshaw, chair of NRW, has accepted that errors were made in how contractors were classified and said new compliance measures are in place to prevent a repeat. He also confirmed that the organisation will now avoid using off-payroll arrangements wherever possible.

The Welsh Government insists the repayment plan is affordable and that essential operations, such as pollution response and flood management, will be protected. Ministers maintain that the public should continue to have confidence in the body’s work and that lessons have been learned from the HMRC review.

Nevertheless, questions remain over whether Wales’ main environmental regulator can maintain effective oversight while carrying a multimillion-pound debt and cutting jobs. The controversy also casts a shadow over the government’s plans to establish a new water regulator, intended to strengthen oversight of water companies and sewage discharges.

The Conservatives say Labour’s record on environmental management is already poor, citing weak enforcement on river pollution and delays in tackling sewage spills. They warn that unless strong financial and managerial controls are put in place, the new regulator risks inheriting the same failings that have dogged NRW.

The Welsh Government’s written statement on October 24 confirmed that the £14.6 million settlement has now been paid in full and that NRW is working with HMRC to meet the conditions attached to the suspended penalty. Ministers say they will closely monitor the repayment plan and NRW’s ability to maintain essential environmental protection across Wales.

News

Motorcyclist injured in Johnston crash after overtaking lorry

Published

3 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Rider treated by paramedics following collision with van pulling out from junction

A MOTORCYCLIST was treated by paramedics after a collision with a van in Johnston on Monday morning (Mar 16).

The crash happened shortly after 9.15am as the rider was overtaking a lorry through slow-moving traffic on the main road. It is understood the lorry blocked the rider’s view of a van pulling out from a junction near KO Carpets.

Police units attended promptly to assist at the scene.

The motorcyclist is not believed to have been seriously injured.

The van suffered slight damage, including a broken wing mirror.

The road was not closed, police said.

Health

Plaid Cymru to hold public meeting over Withybush hospital surgery cuts

Published

4 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Candidates say residents must be heard after emergency services decision

PLAID CYMRU candidates for the Ceredigion Penfro constituency will host a public meeting in Pembrokeshire to discuss concerns over the future of services at Withybush Hospital.

The event will take place at 6:30pm on Monday (Mar 31) at Letterston Village Hall, giving residents the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns following Hywel Dda University Health Board’s decision last month to remove emergency general surgery from the hospital.

Campaigners say the move will force many patients requiring urgent treatment to travel further for care, raising fears about the potential impact on patient safety in rural west Wales.

Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru lead candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, said: “Withybush is such an important hospital for the community and residents of Pembrokeshire. The decision to remove its emergency general surgery will severely weaken the life-saving capacity of this hospital.

“Plaid Cymru has long championed small rural hospitals such as Bronglais and Withybush. We need to ensure these hospitals remain strong local services within our communities. Withybush should have the basic life-saving and everyday treatment services it needs to function as a full general hospital.”

Kerry Ferguson, Plaid Cymru candidate for Pembrokeshire within the Ceredigion Penfro constituency, said the recent success of a public petition had demonstrated the strength of local feeling.

“It’s great to see that the online petition calling for Welsh Government intervention to restore emergency surgery and essential services at Withybush has reached its target, meaning it will now be debated in the Senedd,” she said.

“We are extremely disappointed by the Health Board’s decision to remove emergency general surgery at Withybush. Increased journey times for anyone in need of urgent medical treatment will put lives at risk. We need government intervention now to overturn this decision.”

Residents across Pembrokeshire have continued to raise concerns about the future of services at the hospital, which has long been a focal point in debates about healthcare provision in rural west Wales.

Climate

Research vessel begins mission to study seabed carbon in Irish Sea

Published

4 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Bangor University scientists join £2.1m project investigating the impact of bottom trawling on carbon stored beneath the seabed

A STATE OF THE ART research vessel has set sail from Liverpool to investigate how bottom trawling may affect carbon stored in the seabed of the Irish Sea.

The scientific expedition is part of a £2.1 million research project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and led by Professor Jan Geert Hiddink of Bangor University.

A team of eighteen scientists has embarked on the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels, for a three-and-a-half-week voyage studying the impact of fishing activity on carbon held in seabed sediments.

Before the ship departed, a number of local dignitaries were invited aboard for a tour of the vessel, including Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and National Oceanography Centre Operations Director Natalie Campbell.

Professor Jan Geert Hiddink, from Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said bottom-trawl fishing is both vital to global food supply and a major disturbance to seabed environments.

“Bottom-trawl fishing provides around a quarter of global seafood but is also the most extensive physical disturbance caused by human activities to stocks of carbon locked in seabed sediments,” he said.

“This is important because recent evidence suggests that disturbing the seabed could lead to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gases from the seabed into the atmosphere.

“There are still major uncertainties about how this disturbance affects carbon stored beneath the seabed. As a result, the impact of these disturbances is largely unquantified and currently unregulated.

“The aim of this project is to gain a much clearer understanding of what is happening so that scientists, policymakers and regulators can make informed decisions in the future.”

Seven research organisations are collaborating on the project: Bangor University, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Heriot-Watt University, the University of Leeds, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of St Andrews, and Imperial College London.

Caption: Scientists prepare to begin their research aboard the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels.