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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the Committee noted the update in respect of actions arising from the last meeting.
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, as set out in the report, be approved with the addition of an item on broadband coverage in rural areas for the June 2024 meeting and the Council’s Financial Services, including Revenues and Benefits and Procurement, as an item for the September 2024 meeting.
RESOLVED That a recommendation be made to Full Council to request the Strategic Equalities Working Group to consider the Notice of Motion and develop an Anti-Racist Action Plan and increase the membership of the Group to include Elected Members.
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Huw Murphy, Bethan Price, Michael Stoddart and Michael Williams. The Chair announced that, in view of Councillor Stoddart’s absence and should he lose network connectivity, a Vice-Chair be elected to conduct the remainder of the meeting. The Chair Moved that Councillor Jacob Williams be duly elected; Seconded by Councillor Dr Simon Hancock. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Councillor Jacob Williams be duly elected as Vice-Chair for the meeting.
There were no declarations of interest made.
Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 January 2024 be approved as a correct record, in both English and Welsh. Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 26 January 2024 be approved as a correct record, in both English and Welsh.
The Chair stated that no public submissions or items of correspondence had been received for this meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee noted the update in respect of actions arising from the last meeting.
The Chair introduced a report by the Head of Democratic Services that provided an update on the action points recorded at the previous meeting and their status was noted. Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Dr Simon Hancock. The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee noted the update in respect of actions arising from the last meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, as set out in the report, be approved with the addition of an item on broadband coverage in rural areas for the June 2024 meeting and the Council’s Financial Services, including Revenues and Benefits and Procurement, as an item for the September 2024 meeting.
Councillor Mark Carter read out the items scheduled for the June 2024 meeting on behalf of the Chair as he was unable to see the Forward Work Programme electronically at that time. Councillor Alan Dennison then drew attention to the recent annual budget set by Full Council and suggested that the Committee have oversight and scrutiny of Financial Services, including Revenues and Benefits and Procurement, for the Agenda item reviewing one of the Council’s nine Corporate Service areas. Councillor Mike James raised the issue of the lack of broadband coverage in rural areas, particularly following the Broadway Partners broadband service provider going into administration, and asked that the matter be considered at the next meeting. The Chair endorsed this request and put forward rural broadband be listed for the June meeting and Financial Services for the September meeting. He also proposed that an item scrutinising the Offices of the Chief Executive and Leader be postponed to a later date and reiterated a suggestion that he made at the November 2023 meeting to arrange an informal session, for which a date has yet to be fixed, tofurther consider the Forward Work Programme for the next 12 months. Moved by Councillor Dr Simon Hancock; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, as set out in the report, be approved with the addition of an item on broadband coverage in rural areas for the June 2024 meeting and the Council’s Financial Services, including Revenues and Benefits and Procurement, as an item for the September 2024 meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That a recommendation be made to Full Council to request the Strategic Equalities Working Group to consider the Notice of Motion and develop an Anti-Racist Action Plan and increase the membership of the Group to include Elected Members.
The Committee considered a report by the Head of Democratic Services, which outlined a referral from Full Council in relation to a Notice of Motion submitted by the Labour Group to Council on 7 March 2024, in the following terms: The publication of the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, aims to make Wales an Anti-Racist Nation with the purpose to collectively make a significant change to the lives of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. Pembrokeshire County Council recognises the importance of fostering an inclusive and anti-racist community that values diversity and promotes equality. Recent events have highlighted the need for proactive measures to address racism and ensure that our community remains a welcoming and safe space for all residents. As such the Labour Group on Pembrokeshire County Council wishes to put forward the following: Notice of Motion: “Anti-Racist Pembrokeshire County Council Action Plan”. Pembrokeshire County Council reaffirms its commitment to promoting anti-racism and fostering an inclusive environment within Pembrokeshire and Wales. The Council will actively work to eliminate racial discrimination and prejudice, both within its own operations and in the wider community. Pembrokeshire County Council will collaborate with local organisations, community leaders, and residents to develop and implement anti-racist initiatives and programmes. Pembrokeshire County Council will review and strengthen existing policies to ensure they are inclusive and address any systemic issues that may contribute to racial disparities. The Council will provide anti-racism training for staff, elected officials, and community leaders to raise awareness and promote cultural competence. We will establish a working group dedicated to monitoring and addressing issues related to racism, with regular updates provided to the Council. The Council commits to engaging with the community to listen to the experiences and concerns of residents affected by racism and to take appropriate actions to address these concerns. The Council will celebrate diversity and promote cultural awareness through events, education, and community engagement initiatives. Conclusion: This motion reflects Pembrokeshire County Councils commitment to building a more inclusive and anti-racist community. By taking these steps, we aim to foster understanding, unity, and equality for all residents in Pembrokeshire. Councillor Thomas Tudor, as a Labour Group Member, spoke in support of the Notice of Motion before the Committee proceeded to deliberate on the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor Alan Dennison and Councillor Jonathan Grimes questioned whether there was an underlying problem with racism within the Authority that had resulted in the Notice of Motion. Councillor Tudor responded that a number of people had shared their experiences of racism in the County at a recent Residents’ Surgery, in Haverfordwest, that was also attended by representatives from the Police. He mentioned an example of a child who had experienced racism in a school and the investigation launched by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales into allegations of racism within the Council. · The Head of Democratic Services pointed out that a working group already existed within the Authority and had drafted a Strategic Equality Plan, which was considered by Cabinet on 11 March 2024 and the Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to that. She suggested to Members that a recommendation be made to Full Council to ask that the Group considers developing an Anti-Racist plan for the Authority. · Councillor Grimes and Councillor Mark Carter made reference to anti-racism training, with the former seeking clarification of the cost of providing such training for staff, Elected officials and community leaders. In response to Councillor Carter’s question, the Head of Democratic Services explained Members were given mandatory equality training as part of their induction followed by seminars and one had been held of late. However, she was disappointed to note that not all Members had availed themselves of the training and that the Committee may wish to recommend to Council that a strong message be communicated to all Members to undertake that training. · Councillor Dr Simon Hancock welcomed the existence of the working group to avoid duplication of effort and suggested that the Group membership be strengthened to include greater Elected Member representation. Councillors Tudor and Michael James expressed an interest in joining the Working Group. Moved by Councillor Thomas Tudor; Seconded by Councillor Dr Simon Hancock. The Committee proceeded to the vote, undertaken by way of a roll-call, which was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Mark Carter, Alan Dennison, Jonathan Grimes, Dr Simon Hancock, Mike James, Michael John, Thomas Tudor and Jacob Williams [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That a recommendation be made to Full Council to request the Strategic Equalities Working Group to consider the Notice of Motion and develop an Anti-Racist Action Plan and increase the membership of the Group to include Elected Members.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Committee considered a report on the Council’s progress so far on delivery against its Well-being Objectives under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The Chair welcomed the report’s author, the Corporate Policy and Partnerships Manager, to the meeting and Councillor Neil Prior, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Improvement and Communities, who introduced the topic. In opening up discussion of the report, the Chair spoke of the challenge facing the Council in delivering objectives that were very much aspirational and were likely to be impacted by budgetary pressures. He illustrated with an example of the Education Well-being Objective where funding cuts to schools and support in the Education Department would make delivery against the Objective to a high standard very difficult. Other key points discussed were: · Councillor Steve Alderman was of the view that the first three Objectives relating to Education, Social Care and Housing would be very much dictated by meeting the fourth Objective on the Economy for the next several years. · Councillor Alan Dennison pointed out that while the Council continued to focus on the enforcement of environmental crime and its high waste and recycling rate in the Objective for Core Services, it was being criticised for doing nothing in other areas, such as the issues with odours coming from the Withyhedge Landfill Site. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Chair introduced a report on Elected Members’ rights to access information held by the Authority. He welcomed to the meeting both Councillor David Simpson, Leader, and the Solicitor, who was attending of behalf of the report’s author, the Head of Law and Governance. The Chair explained that the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance’s awarding of a contract, which Members did not have sight of and was the subject of a called-in decision at the Committee’s Extraordinary meeting in January 2024, had led to this report request. He recalled that the advice given on the day was that the Committee was not entitled to see the contract and directed Members to the report where the Head of Law and Governance stated she would have a different view if similar circumstances were to occur again. Furthermore, the Council’s Constitution sets out that Members have a right to see all documents as long as they were not in draft form. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor Thomas Tudor, making reference to the report’s section on Members ‘need to know’ and their right to access all documents at common law, asked whether he would have been entitled to see information regarding the sale of Haverfordwest’s Shire Hall as he had been refused. The Solicitor advised that, while she was unable to comment on the specific matter, in terms of Members’ rights to access information on the basis of ‘need to know’, the determination involved a balancing act and the determination would be made on a case-by-case basis. · Councillor Jacob Williams sought confirmation about whether Members who had requested sight of the contract for bulk printing and mailing had since been provided with a copy, to which the Solicitor replied she was not aware if anything had happened subsequent to the Extraordinary Committee meeting. In response to a further question, the Solicitor advised that in her view, a copy of the contract could be provided to all members if requested. Whilst this would not fall strictly within the interpretation of Regulation 11 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Decisions, Documents and Meetings) (Wales) Regulations 2001, the solicitor was of the view it could be interpreted in such a way as to allow disclosure. · As one of the Members who had asked for the Cabinet Member’s decision to be called-in, Councillor Mark Carter observed that had Members had more ease of access to the information then the call-in may not have been necessary. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive clarifying the ability of the Swansea Bay City Deal (SBCD) Joint Committee to agree amendments to the original Agreement for its establishment and governance. The Leader introduced the report and referred to Clause 5.2, one of the amendments described in the Deed of Variation as follows: That the Joint Committee is not permitted to vote on the approval of a business case or any other matter relating to a project if the Member representative of a Council involved in that project is not present at the meeting. The Leader clarified that if he was not in attendance at a Joint Committee meeting then it could not make decisions without him that would affect Pembrokeshire County Council. He admitted that no Joint Committee meeting had been missed intentionally with the exception of when they coincided with Full Council meetings and he and the Deputy Leader prioritised their attendance at those meetings instead. The Assistant Chief Executive stated that the Deed of Variation was referred back to each of the four County Councils who went through their internal process. The report was drafted by the Monitoring Officer in October 2019 that was approved by the Cabinet of Pembrokeshire County Council and the Deed of Variation was agreed by all of the other partner authorities. The Chair revealed that when the matter of whether some meetings of the Joint Committee had been quorate and was first raised, the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny was unaware of the Deed of Variation and change to the quorum of Joint Committee meetings being three of the four partner authorities. The Chair made clear that there was no criticism of the Leader or Deputy Leader for not attending the Joint Committee. The only concern the Chair had was that the other authorities may approve projects that Pembrokeshire County Council may have had a view on. Councillor Jacob Williams remained unclear and presumed that as Full Council was the body that approved and entered into the Agreement at the start of the Joint Committee, revisions to the Deed of Variation would have been sent back and approved at Full Council and not Cabinet. In particular, he highlighted the position was similar to what happened with the Memorandum of Understanding in Education. In the absence of the Head of Law and Governance, the Assistant Chief Executive understood that unless a matter was specifically under the remit of Full Council, a reserved matter of Local Choice and decision-making responsibility did actually sit with Cabinet. The Leader added that minor amendments to the Deed of Variation were considered by the Cabinet, and not Full Council, of the four partner authorities. Councillor Williams assured that he did not mistrust the Cabinet but felt the limited powers of Elected Members was being undermined. He was disappointed that the report did not address when the Deed of Variation became the responsibility of the Executive, which the Chair endorsed. The Assistant Chief Executive agreed to follow up the matter with the Head of Law and Governance and report back to the next Committee meeting. Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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