Mik Smith: The paedophile was nearly allowed to become a foster carer

THE REPORT into how Pembrokeshire County Council dealt with convicted paedophile Mik Smith will be published after a landmark decision by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet today (Jun 2).

The new Cabinet, led by new Council Leader David Simpson, voted unanimously in favour of publishing the report.

Cllr Mike Stoddart, who has long campaigned for the report to be published, also asked if a Task and Finish Group could be set up to investigate other issues that he was aware of which were not included in the report and that was supported by the Cabinet.

His notice of motion has been repeatedly knocked back by officers who said the report could not be published because it contained sensitive information.

At previous meetings of Full Council meeting and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee in March, calls to release the document were defeated on the chairman’s vote after a tied vote.

The report has already been leaked to the press but at a previous meeting, Chief Executive, Mr Ian Westley, stated that it was his ‘personal preference’ that the report shouldn’t be published due to an agreement he had with the report’s author.

On Monday, Cllr Stoddart told the new Cabinet: “This is a rather long story. I have been trying to get this published for the last 18 months. I’m afraid there is a complex web of deceit in this report.

“The whistle-blower was sacked in 2006 and it is often thought that this was the sole whistle-blower when in actual fact there were eight members of the youth service that had this complaint.

“When she was sacked, this council had already had a second complaint about Mr Smith, she wasn’t a part of this and yet they sacked her.

“The Head of Youth Service was asked about Mr Smith’s suitability to be a foster parent and verbally he replied in very positive terms and he was then sent a form with a covering letter which said ‘agencies are reminded that they have a duty to pro-actively inform PCC of any issues that arise that could impact on this person’s ongoing capacity to act as a foster carer or could represent a safeguarding issue to the children who might be placed with them’.

“The Head of Youth Service left that blank although he had administered two disciplinary sanctions against Mr Smith in 2005 and 2006, and furthermore there had been a further complaint in 2009. To me, what went on here is an absolute disgrace and I do think the people of Pembrokeshire have a right to know all the facts.

“There was a report put before the scrutiny committee, which said: “The report contains personal information in relation to the names of children, parents and professionals. I have failed to find any reference to any names of children, parents of professionals and I feel that this is part of the tactics that I object to in this authority where things are invented to push members in a particular direction.”

Cllr Stoddart also claimed that the report was incomplete as its author had been restricted to the information that was available.

Cllr Paul Miller said he agreed entirely with Cllr Stoddart and said it was in the public interest to publish what he described as a ‘serious issue’.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson said it was clear that the people of Pembrokeshire had voted for change and said that they must demonstrate they were prepared to take action. She added that they must ensure that something like this never happens again.

Cllr Neil Prior said: “Organisations will always make mistakes but it’s how we deal with them that is important and I do feel that we have very difficult decisions ahead and we need the support of the public in understanding why we take some of those decisions and I do feel strongly that this is a new era, and to show a gesture of goodwill to the people of Pembrokeshire that we should release the report.”

Cllr Phil Baker added the report did make for difficult reading and that it was a dark period for the council whilst the investigations were ongoing.

Cllr Pat Davies said that newly elected councillors had inherited the problem and added that it was time for the matter to be settled.

Chief Executive Ian Westley asked for the information that Cllr Stoddart to make him aware of the information that he had and also encouraged the person who leaked the report to come forward and say why they had done it.