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RESOLVED That the Action Log be approved.
RESOLVED That the Draft Welsh Language Strategy 2026-31 be endorsed prior to consideration by Cabinet on 6 July 2026.
RESOLVED (a) That the outcome of the Member consultation be noted; (b) That the Committee recommends that the policy be redrafted and reconsidered in the September meeting of the Committee prior to approval by Cabinet. The Committee request that the policy should include measurable criteria on items such as, but not limited to, hours of lighting, colour of lighting, decommissioning, appealing decisions, classification of rural and urban areas, responsibility of private land owners, escalation procedures and any other point brought to officers’ attention by the Chairman following the meeting; and (c) That the new policy be re-issued to all members for consideration before coming back to the Committee meeting in September 2026.
RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme be approved.
The Chair requested nominations for the role of Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year and Councillor Claire George nominated Councillor Michele Wiggins for the role of Vice-Chair; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. Councillor Alan Dennison nominated Councillor Huw Murphy; however, Councillor Murphy did not accept the nomination. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Councillor Michele Wiggins be elected as the Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
Agenda Item 8: Draft Welsh Language Policy Councillor Delme Harries, Members Champion for the Welsh Language. Agenda Item 9: Streetlight Policy Update Councillor Michael John as originator of the original Notice of Motion.
Agenda Item 8: Welsh Language Policy Councillor Aled Thomas declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Governor at Ysgol Caer Elen, a Welsh Medium School. Councillor Huw Murphy declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Governor at Ysgol Bro Ingli and Ysgol Bro Preseli, Welsh Medium Schools. Councillor Mike James declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Governor at Ysgol Bro Preseli, a Welsh Medium School.
The Chair presented the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2026. Moved by Councillor Aled Thomas; Seconded by Councillor Claire George. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2026 be approved as a correct record. [Councillor Michele Wiggins abstained from the vote by virtue of not being in attendance at the meeting.]
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RESOLVED That the Action Log be approved.
The Chair presented the Action Log to the Committee noting the two pending actions. Moved by Councillor Mike James; Seconded by Councillor Claire George. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Action Log be approved.
There were no items of public submission or correspondence received.
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RESOLVED That the Draft Welsh Language Strategy 2026-31 be endorsed prior to consideration by Cabinet on 6 July 2026.
The Chair welcomed the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Welsh Language Champion to present the Draft Welsh Language Strategy for 2026-31 to the Committee. The Committee was advised that the Council had a duty to prepare a five-year strategy to explain how the Welsh Language would be promoted within the Authority. The Welsh Government has a target to achieve One million Welsh speakers by 2050, doubling the number of speakers, and the Authority also has a target to double the number of Welsh speakers. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care further highlighted the number of courses available for adults to support children learning in school. The Chair noted that unfortunately, Welsh translation was not available at the meeting. However, he invited all that could speak Welsh to do so and either translate it themselves or he would translate for them. The Committee then debated the contents of the report and the key points were noted as follows: In response to a question raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding the targets for Welsh Speakers set by the previous Welsh Government administration, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care advised that he was not aware of any changes having been made. However, it was noted that the target was expected to remain the same. The Chair informed the Committee that the Corporate Policy and Research Officer had reached out to himself and Councillor Delme Harries prior to compiling the report as Member Champions for the Welsh Language which had been very much welcomed. The Chair concurred with comments made by Councillor Delme Harries regarding the views of Members of the use of the Welsh language in the Chamber as some Members did not listen to contributions made in Welsh, even with the translation available which discouraged Members from speaking in Welsh. Councillor Huw Murphy agreed with encouraging Members to speak Welsh when they are able, particularly when translation is available. Councillor Murphy highlighted the need to encourage Welsh speaking in young people and for parents to support them by learning Welsh. [Councillor Jabob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways joined the meeting at this juncture.] In response to a question raised by Councillor Huw Murphy regarding the decline of Welsh language in young people, the Director of Education advised that there was a demographic decline in the population, particularly in the 0 to 15 age bracket which was representative of the decline in the Welsh Language. Councillor Mike James highlighted the differing levels of spoken Welsh when speaking with family and in the work environment. The Corporate Policy and Research Officer agreed, as the consultation had evidenced, that people need support in gaining the confidence to speak Welsh in a work environment. It was noted that there was a new Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 which includes a framework which will help to measure the level of Welsh language ability, and there will be a code of practice to support implementation. Councillor Claire George highlighted the need for vibrant and resilient communities that will only continue if small villages are developed. The Local Development Plan contains a Welsh language policy; however, the land is not available within those villages and the small community schools are closing. Councillor Michael Williams emphasised that there was complacency within the Welsh language as statistics show that we are failing as Welsh is heard less throughout the County highlighting the minimal use of Welsh in shops. The Chair highlighted the recent excellent work in education noting that this would be evidenced when the data became available. Councillor Delme Harries highlighted the importance of using the Welsh language every day and leading by example. This was particularly important with the Eisteddfod coming to Pembrokeshire this year and the legacy this will bring. This was a new venture for the County and he requested that every County Councillor attend at least once during the week. Councillor Harries highlighted the volunteers that had raised a substantial amount of money to host the Eisteddfod with events taking place across the Authority. In response to comments from Councillor Maureen Bowen regarding the financial implications of the Welsh language particularly when English medium schools are struggling, the Chair advised that provision of translation into Welsh language was a legal requirement. The Director of Education noted that there was a school funding formula where schools were funded on a per pupil basis and premises basis and that the funding was the same for all schools. Councillor Bowen highlighted that children attending Welsh medium schools were usually due to the support of the parents and there was a need to concentrate on children that were not being given that same level of support. In response to concerns raised by Councillor Neil Prior regarding the time scales of the strategy, the Chair advised that there would be an annual review to scrutinise the progress. The Corporate Policy and Research Officer reassured Members that they would be prioritising actions annually and agreed to add more detail to the timescales within the Action Plan. Councillor Mike James referred to the strategy for learning Welsh and the Corporate Policy and Research Officer advised that continuing to promote Welsh language and the learning opportunities was included within the strategy highlighting the various providers of tuition. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the use of Welsh language and Artificial Intelligence, the Corporate Policy and Research Officer advised that they were holding discussions with IT regarding this provision. Councillor Alan Dennison highlighted the various grants that were available for Welsh for Adults highlighting the substantial amount of support for the Welsh language in the community and in the workplace. Councillor Aled Thomas then Moved the recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Bethan Price. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Draft Welsh Language Strategy 2026-31 be endorsed prior to consideration by Cabinet on 6 July 2026.
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RESOLVED (a) That the outcome of the Member consultation be noted; (b) That the Committee recommends that the policy be redrafted and reconsidered in the September meeting of the Committee prior to approval by Cabinet. The Committee request that the policy should include measurable criteria on items such as, but not limited to, hours of lighting, colour of lighting, decommissioning, appealing decisions, classification of rural and urban areas, responsibility of private land owners, escalation procedures and any other point brought to officers’ attention by the Chairman following the meeting; and (c) That the new policy be re-issued to all members for consideration before coming back to the Committee meeting in September 2026.
The Chair welcomed Councillor Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways to the meeting to present the Streetlight Policy update to the Committee. The Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways advised Members that in 2025, Council had resolved to review the Authority's Street Lighting policy that had originally been adopted in 2008 ensuring that the policy remained fit for purpose with the key points highlighted as follows: The consultation had been undertaken noting a very limited response had been received from the Members. There had been a number of minor additions to strengthen the criteria in relation to accident data, crime evidence, dark skies considerations and the differing needs of rural and urban communities. The Chair then invited Councillor Michael John to address the Committee following his request to Council for the review to be undertaken. Councillor John advised Members that he had initially raised concerns regarding the differential between urban and rural areas ensuring that those in rural areas did not feel that they received a reduced service to those in urban areas. Councillor John expressed his disappointment in the low response from Members and that those responses that had been received had not been included in the report. It was highlighted that many streetlights were being switched off at 6pm or being removed entirely leaving elderly and vulnerable residents in the dark and not wanting to leave their homes. Councillor John raised concerns that this was not the case for urban residents. Councillor John thanked the Chair for the opportunity to attend the meeting. The Committee then debated the contents of the report with the key points highlighted as follows: Councillor Neil Prior highlighted concerns that the consultation had not been robustly circulated and that the policy was particularly light in content. The Chair noted that he had not, personally, been aware of the consultation noting that there could have been more email requests sent to Members to gain a greater level of response. In responding to Councillor Michael John’s comments on the rural and urban split, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways advised that a defining feature of the split was the lack of street furniture and pavement provision and noted the reduced street lighting in rural areas was a defining factor of a rural area. The Chair concurred that the policy was light in content noting that the Authority could support the Town and Community Councils in street lighting provision, particularly as this was not a statutory duty. Councillor Claire George emphasised that the definition of urban and rural was entirely subjective and that a greater explanation was required within the policy. In addition, Councillor George noted the need for decommissioning criteria, standard hours of operation, colour of lighting and the responsibility of private landowners to be included. Councillor Alan Dennison agreed with the comments made by Councillor George noting that non-pedestrianised roads were well lit for vehicles to travel whereas pedestrianised areas remained in the dark. Councillor Neil Prior concurred that having tighter criteria within the policy would support Member interactions with residents when discussing street lighting criteria. Councillor Maureen Bowen suggested the promotion of residents wearing reflective bands to increase their visibility. The Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways reiterated that the current policy was almost 19 years old and, highlighting that he was new to this role in the Cabinet, requested that a direction be provided to Officers for an updated consultation to be undertaken. Councillor Neil Prior emphasised the need for a strengthened policy to return to the Committee and to include withdrawal criteria and colour of street lighting. The Chair then clarified the proposal before the Committee and Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. The vote, undertake by way of a roll-call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Maureen Bowen, Alan Dennison, Claire George, Mike James, Huw Murphy, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Aled Thomas, Michele Wiggins and Michael Williams [10] There were no votes against and no abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the outcome of the Member consultation be noted; (b) That the Committee recommends that the policy be redrafted and reconsidered in the September meeting of the Committee prior to approval by Cabinet. The Committee request that the policy should include measurable criteria on items such as, but not limited to, hours of lighting, colour of lighting, decommissioning, appealing decisions, classification of rural and urban areas, responsibility of private land owners, escalation procedures and any other point brought to officers’ attention by the Chairman following the meeting; and (c) That the new policy be re-issued to all members for consideration before coming back to the Committee meeting in September 2026.
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RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
The Chair welcomed the Head of Democratic Services to the Committee to present the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2025-26. The Head of Democratic Services highlighted the work of the Committee noting the number of meetings held and reports that had been scrutinised. The Chair thanked the previous Chair, Councillor Dr Simon Hancock for his time chairing the Committee noting that the change in political balance had necessitated a change in Chair. In response to a question raised by Councillor Huw Murphy regarding the mechanism for Call-Ins, the Chair advised that it did not relate to this Committee and would need to be raised at Council. Councillor Claire George highlighted the great value the Committee held in overseeing, supporting and enhancing policies prior to presentation at Cabinet emphasising the valuable function of the Committee. Councillor Alan Dennison gave thanks to Democratic Services for providing an easy-to-read report highlighting concerns that only 4% were watching the webcasts. The Chair clarified that following every cycle of Overview and Scrutiny Committees, the Chairs and Vice-Chairs meet to review the viewing figures and had suggested additional support from the Authority’s Communications team to promote the work of the Committees. The Head of Democratic Services advised that they had sought to encourage engagement with social media posts which would be progressed and welcomed any suggestions from Members. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies highlighted that there had been a request to Cabinet for additional recruitment in the Communications team to improve the internal and external communications within the Authority. In response to a suggestion raised by Councillor Huw Murphy regarding the need for improved Councillor engagement, the Chair agreed that it was often the same Members on all of the Committees with not all Councillors engaging at the same level. Councillor Alan Dennison noted that it can be difficult for members of the public to source the information. The Head of Democratic Services advised that all information was in the public domain but acknowledged it could be difficult to find; however, all Decisions were shared with Members who were welcome to include this within their own networks. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding evening meetings, the Head of Democratic Services advised that this had been reviewed on several occasions, with all Members surveyed at the start of each term. The responses, whilst low, preferred meetings remain as they were, emphasising that each Committee did have flexibility. Councillor Alan Dennison sought clarity on the information that was provided to prospective Members and the Head of Democratic Services advised that this would be taken forward to the Induction Working Group with the meeting schedule and level of commitment required being highlighted. Councillor Aled Thomas then Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Claire George. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
The Chair welcomed the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies to the meeting to present the Socially Responsible Procurement Objectives to the Committee and highlighted the five key objectives. In response to a question raised by Councillor Claire George regarding the objectives, the Category Manager confirmed that they were set following review with other organisation objectives. Councillor George sought clarification on how they would be reflected in the scoring of tenders and the Head of Resources and Procurement advised that, following approval, not every element would be used as they would be tender specific and agreed at the tender stage. It was further explained that the engagement was not only procurement but also linking with the service with no mandated review time. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Aled Thomas regarding the reviews, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies agreed that it made sense to review following the first year of implementation with further reviews agreed at that time. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies explained to Councillor Alan Dennison that anybody could apply for a tender and reassured Members that there was no preclusion of local companies. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Maureen Bowen regarding the Real Living Wage, the Category Manager explained that guidance on Real Living Wage conflicts with legal advice on procurement. As the Authority was not a Real Living Wage employer, this could not be mandated on suppliers. The Head of Resources and Procurement responded to a question raised by Councillor Neil Prior regarding Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and how to increase the number of local suppliers. Members were advised that the engagement teams were linked with procurement; however acknowledged that more SMEs were needed in the County. [Councillor Mike James left the meeting at this juncture.] In response to a question raised by Councillor Aled Thomas regarding how objectives were measured, the Category Manager explained that there were different objectives in different parts of procurement. Councillor Thomas acknowledged that this was not a strict framework and provided a guiding principle. Councillor Claire George questioned the removal of the encouraged suppliers to support community and grassroots, sport, leisure and cultural events as this was covered under the social element of suppliers, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies agreed that this would remain under Cultural. Councillor Alan Dennison highlighted the difficulty in encouraging suppliers to pay the Real Living Wage when the Authority was not a Real Living Wage employer and asked why there was no element regarding Health and Safety. The Category Manager explained that the objectives were directly linked to the Well Being of Future Generations Act where a tender would include a minimum set of requirements with Health and Safety being addressed at this stage. In response to a question raised by Councillor Michael Williams regarding monitoring of contracts, the Head of Resources and Procurement explained that there was a Contract Review Officer in post who also advised of any changes in financial status. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies reassured Members that they need to be reliant on the Authority’s professional Officers. Councillor Aled Thomas then Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOVLED (a) That the Draft Social Responsible Procurement Objectives are compliant with the Act, aligned with corporate priorities and wellbeing objectives, and embedded within commissioning and contracting activity across the organisation be noted; (b) That the Social Responsible Procurement Objectives be endorsed; and (c) That a review be undertaken in 12 months’ time in respect of the objectives.
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RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme be approved.
The Chair presented the Forward Work Programme to the Committee highlighting the changes that had been made and advising that a programme planning meeting would be arranged before the next meeting of the Committee. Councillor Alan Dennison emphasised the need for Insurance to be scrutinised in September and Councillor Claire George requested more context on the Emergency Preparedness Policy listed for November. Councillor Aled Thomas then Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme be approved.
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