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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED (a) That the key findings of the investigation undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, at the request of the Chief Executive, and the corrective action that was undertaken to strengthen the decision-making process, be noted. (b) That the Governance and Audit Committee initiate a further investigation into the matter due to a number of concerns raised, to be undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, with the Terms of Reference of the investigation to be drafted by the Chair, Dr Norma Barry, in consultation with Committee Members.
RESOLVED That the updates and associated appendices in respect of actions arising from the 10 July 2025 meeting be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the Committee be provided with further information in relation to all ‘very high risk’ recommendations which had exceeded the 90 days implementation time frame. (b) That the Committee be provided with all Audit Report’s categorised as having Limited Assurance, for consideration, at future meetings. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Update report to the 31 August 2025 be noted.
RESOLVED That the Business Risk Management update and the contents of the Corporate Risk Register be noted.
RESOLVED That the Compliments, Concerns and Complaints Handling Annual Report be noted, with the Committee expressing satisfaction regarding the Authority’s ability to handle complaints effectively.
RESOLVED That the draft Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2024–25 be noted, with the positive comments of the Committee being conveyed, prior to its submission for approval by Council.
RESOLVED That the County Council Statement of Accounts 2024-25 Progress Report be noted.
RESOLVED That no amendments were required to the Council’s response to Audit Wales regarding the Audit Enquiries to those charged with Governance and Management.
RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report for Quarter 1 2025-26 be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the final contract costs for Tudor Place and the Old School Lane and the tender process for the Old School Lane be noted. (b) That a request be made for an audit of both schemes to be undertaken.
RESOLVED That the Audit Wales Local Report ‘Pembrokeshire County Council, Arrangements for Commissioning Services’ be noted.
RESOLVED That the Work Programme and Timetable be noted.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Alan Dennison, Councillor Anji Tinley attended as the substitute Member.
There were no requests received.
There were no declarations of interest received.
Moved by Dr Norma Barry; Seconded by Mr John Evans The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the English and Welsh Minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2025 be approved as correct records. [Councillor Anji Tinley abstained from voting as she was not present at the July Committee meeting.] Following approval of the Minutes, the Chair sought updates on the following matters contained within: · Assurance was sought that Councillor Aled Thomas had been provided with information as to whether the Pathfinder system in the Courts would alter financial forecasting. The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer provided assurance that the Director of Social Care and Housing had provided a response, which was outlined. · It was queried whether Audit Wales had provided feedback on the Business Risk Management processes, to which the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer advised that the initial draft had been received and a revised report was awaited. It was added that Member training on risk management would take place in quarter three. · Clarification was sought that timeframes would be set for planned actions within the Annual Governance Statement to enable the Committee to monitor implementation, which the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer confirmed that he had taken the suggestion on board.
The Chair advised that due to the Chief Executive needing to depart the meeting by 11am an alteration to the running order would be made, with Agenda Item No. 6 - Long Course Weekend to be taken at this juncture. Following consideration of that item the Committee would then return to the Action Log item and proceed through the agenda as originally planned.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the key findings of the investigation undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, at the request of the Chief Executive, and the corrective action that was undertaken to strengthen the decision-making process, be noted. (b) That the Governance and Audit Committee initiate a further investigation into the matter due to a number of concerns raised, to be undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, with the Terms of Reference of the investigation to be drafted by the Chair, Dr Norma Barry, in consultation with Committee Members.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive in relation to the Long Course Weekend Host Agreement, following the below resolution of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee made on 8 August 2025. “Given the admission of governance failure both in the papers and verbally today by the Head of Law and Governance, the matter be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee for further investigation.” Before inviting the Chief Executive to introduce the report, the Chair expressed that she had a number of concerns regarding the report, and the timing of it, which did not allow the Committee to have input into the terms of reference of the investigation. It was added that the Committee had not been sighted on the full report but were being asked to endorse the recommendations from it. It was, however, acknowledged that the full report would include some sensitive information, which could likely not be shared, regarding individuals. The Chair took the opportunity to remind the Committee that it would need to satisfy itself that the findings and recommendations in the report being presented, would meet the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's request. The Chief Executive proceeded to introduce the report, outlined the background to the referral from the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and explained that a Cabinet resolution in January authorised a joint decision between the Director and Cabinet Member for Resident Services, resulting in a multi-year agreement. A retrospective decision was later published to clarify arrangements for 2026 onwards, following advice from the Monitoring Officer. A management investigation was initiated, which found no misconduct but identified governance issues, including unclear delegation and amendment recording. Corrective actions were stated to have been taken, which included a learning event with all involved, and the Chief Executive confirmed that in this opinion no further investigation was necessary. Members were advised that the Management Investigation Report would not be released due to its confidential nature, but key findings had been included in the report presented, for consideration. The conclusion of the report, and areas for improvement were outlined. The Chair opened the matter for debate and the following points were raised: · Mr John Evans expressed concern over the governance failures, highlighting that effective governance relied on timely and accurate execution of procedures, underpinned by a clear understanding of constitutional processes. It was suggested that targeted training for Officers and Members could be beneficial to improve procedural awareness and a range of other support tools were also suggested. Mr Evans accepted the assurance that no misconduct occurred and did not consider further investigation necessary. In response, the Head of Law and Governance provided reassurance regarding governance training, noting that whilst Officer engagement was strong, Member participation could be improved. It was stated that plans were in place to enhance training with a focus on clarity in decision-making and added that tracking decisions post Cabinet meetings would be reviewed to strengthen governance processes. The Chief Executive concurred with the comments made and reiterated that he had held a learning event with those involved, which focused on identifying lessons learned and strengthening governance procedures, particularly around recording amendments and clarifying decision-making responsibilities. · The Chair expressed concern over procedural matters noting that it was not considered by the appropriate Board prior to signing the agreement and that key stakeholders had not been consulted. The need for clarity around the respective responsibilities of Officers and Members was highlighted along with the importance of management ensuring adherence to established policies and processes. In response, the Chief Executive recognised lack of engagement but provided assurance that the agreement had now been circulated confidentially to all Members for feedback, which would be reviewed by the Events Advisory Board and the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee before returning to Cabinet. It was noted that variation and termination clauses were available should members wish to propose changes to the agreement. · Councillor Aled Thomas made reference to the following statement contained within the report ‘Both an officer and cabinet member were aware of the cabinet's intent, but supported a longer -term agreement without ensuring proper scrutiny’ and expressed that he felt it demonstrated clear intent to go against Cabinets decision, which he felt required further investigation. This was a view which Councillor Mike Stoddart concurred with. In response to the comments made, the Chief Executive stated that there was no evidence of Officers acting contrary to Cabinet’s intent and provided further information on how the misunderstanding arose. Members were advised that no misconduct occurred. · To ensure total transparency, Councillor Jacob Williams highlighted that the report did not reflect the concerns of the two Saundersfoot ward Councillors, who had previously submitted a Notice of Motion to end Council support for the Long Course Weekend, later withdrawn in good faith. It was noted that the 2025 host agreement was signed the day before the event, raising questions about timing and transparency. It was expressed that, given the local impact and prior objections, greater sensitivity should have been shown. In response, the Chief Executive acknowledged that the timeline for finalising the 2025 host agreement was tight, but explained that it had been due to the complexities of commercial negotiation, legal review, and staffing changes, along with the decision made by Cabinet to link the agreement to the announcement of the 2026 event, which required a decision before the 2025 event took place. · In response to a number of points raised, the Chief Executive outlined the origin of the error during the Cabinet meeting and clarified that the Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer functions acted as the permanent secretariat. An update was provided on changes which would be made moving forward by the secretariat to prevent future misinterpretations. · Councillor Anji Tinley expressed discontent with the recommendations of the report and felt that more than ‘governance improvements’ would be required, however, did not feel a further internal investigation would draw a different conclusion unless the Committee instructed the investigation to take a different path. · Councillor Jacob Williams made reference to the difference between what was proposed as part of the meeting chat function, and the resolution which was read out by the Leader and stated that whilst the wording may have been slightly different the meaning remained the same. In response, the Chief Executive compared to two and highlighted what he felt the differences were. Following the explanation, Councillor Jacob Wiliams expressed that he was still of the view that two wordings had the same meaning. · In response to a question raised by Mr John Evans, the Interim Head of Infrastructure and Environment confirmed that the host agreement contained a 12 month break clause, no fault to the Authority, but subject to the appropriate decision making process. The Chair concluded that the Committee was not content to accept the Management Report and was of the view that a further investigation would be appropriate. The Chief Executive and Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer stated that if it was the decision of the Committee to undertake an additional investigation into the matter, then the Terms of Reference of the investigation would need to be very clear, particularly highlighting what, in addition to the work undertaken as part of the Management Investigation, would be required. Dr Norma Barry Moved that the key findings of the investigation undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, at the request of the Chief Executive, and the corrective action that was undertaken to strengthen the decision-making process, be noted, but the Governance and Audit Committee initiate a further investigation into the matter due to a number of concerns raised, to be undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, with the Terms of Reference of the investigation to be drafted by the Chair in consultation with Committee Members (AP); Seconded by Councillor Mike Stoddart. The votes, undertaken by way of a roll call, were carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Maureen Bowen, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas and Jacob Williams; and Dr Norma Barry, Mr John Evans and Mr Chris Halford [7] Against the Motion: Councillors Mike James and Anji Tinley [2] There were no abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the key findings of the investigation undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, at the request of the Chief Executive, and the corrective action that was undertaken to strengthen the decision-making process, be noted. (b) That the Governance and Audit Committee initiate a further investigation into the matter due to a number of concerns raised, to be undertaken by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer, with the Terms of Reference of the investigation to be drafted by the Chair, Dr Norma Barry, in consultation with Committee Members.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the updates and associated appendices in respect of actions arising from the 10 July 2025 meeting be noted.
The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer introduced the item and highlighted the associated appendices as requested by the Committee. Following publication of the agenda, an update in relation Action 3, Withybush Food Park, was received, which was read out for Members by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer as follows: Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) and Welsh Government (WG) have entered a joint Venture (JV) with the aim of developing a food park on Council owned land at the Haverfordwest business park. The stated aim is to facilitate the growth and development food sector local businesses by providing access to modern and sustainable food grade manufacturing facilities available for rent. That investment is based on a three-strand approach: a. Construction of access roads and creating development plateaus to provide a first phase of development land b. To increase the utilities capacity (electricity, gas and water) suitable for a first phase of development at the food park site c. To build a first phase of small food units. Actions (a) and (b) are complete. Budget expenditure for these aspects is in excess of £1m on providing the required infrastructure in terms of roads, and services including additional electrical supply capacity. Food Units An early market engagement exercise has been undertaken to establish the demand and specification for small food grade units. The current position and action is that a design brief is being commissioned for 5 No. food units to be built on site A within Withybush foodpark. Informed by the early market engagement exercise, the development will consist of 3 No. 1,000 sq.ft units and a further 2 No 1,500 sq.ft units. Critical objectives have been set to provide: • Net zero carbon in operation: See Welsh Government implementation guide, Property Division: Delivering Low Carbon Buildings Towards Net Zero. • Compliance with minimum food standard requirements (Latest regulations). • Capability to physically achieve accreditation status (BRC & SALSA) without modification. The brief provides for the units to have a design quality and clarity of concept that differentiates them from standard units. A tender exercise is underway to secure delivery capacity. This will be funded under the JV with Welsh Government. Project target completion date: March 2027. Mr John Evans made reference to the Audit Wales response appended to the action log and queried if appropriate monies would be available in the instance that an additional audit fee was required again in the current year. In response, the Director of Resources confirmed that funding was available. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the updates and associated appendices in respect of actions arising from the 10 July 2025 meeting be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Committee be provided with further information in relation to all ‘very high risk’ recommendations which had exceeded the 90 days implementation time frame. (b) That the Committee be provided with all Audit Report’s categorised as having Limited Assurance, for consideration, at future meetings. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Update report to the 31 August 2025 be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Update for 2025-26. The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer presented the report stating that the update covered the period up to the end of August, in line with publication requirements. It was stated that the report provided updates on performance against the Strategic Internal Audit Plan approved in April, areas of concern identified through Limited Assurance Reviews, and the fluidity of the Audit Programme to address emerging risks. It also included progress on the Council’s counter-fraud arrangements, the Internal Audit Quality Assurance Improvement Programme, and the status of outstanding audit recommendations. Additionally, the Committee was informed of recent staffing developments, including recruitment outcomes which would enable to the service to operate at full capacity again by the end of October 2025, and the introduction of an apprenticeship scheme aimed at enhancing service resilience and long-term capacity. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Mr John Evans made reference to recommendations which had exceeded the 90 days implementation time frame and requested that the Committee be provided with updates of all ‘very high risk’ recommendations that exceeded that time frame (AP). A request was made for the responsible Officer to be present during consideration of the recommendations. · Assurance was sought by Mr John Evans regarding the internal audit self-assessment report ensuring that it reflected the types of issues identified in lower level audits. · The Chair made reference to the Vehicle Maintenance Unit Audit which had raised concerns and requested that the Committee be presented with an update on the matter at the next meeting (AP). · Concerns were raised by the Chair regarding the performance of the Deputy Chief Executive’s Directorate in implementing audit recommendations and stated that the Committee would monitor this area over the coming months before escalating anything. · Councillor Anji Tinley made reference to the recommendation tracker regarding ‘Rapid Review of Child Protection Arrangements – Care Inspectorate Wales Review’ which stated, ‘Risk Rating: Not Applicable’ and queried why that would be included if it was not applicable. In response, the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer stated that when the Authority conduct internal audits, every recommendation gets a rating, but when recommendations are made by external bodies, it is found that they do not grade their recommendations, which is why that particular recommendation was showing as not applicable. It was added that the recommendation would remain on the tracker until fully implemented. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Maureen Bowen The votes, undertaken by way of a roll call, were carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Maureen Bowen, Mike James, Mike Stoddart, Anji Tinley, Aled Thomas and Jacob Williams; and Dr Norma Barry, Mr John Evans and Mr Chris Halford [9] There were no votes against the motion or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Committee be provided with further information in relation to all ‘very high risk’ recommendations which had exceeded the 90 days implementation time frame. (b) That the Committee be provided with all Audit Report’s categorised as having Limited Assurance, for consideration, at future meetings. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Update report to the 31 August 2025 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Business Risk Management update and the contents of the Corporate Risk Register be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to the Business Risk Management Update Quarter 2 for 2025-26. The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer presented the report and outlined the changes since the Committee last considered the report at the July meeting. It was stated that the Corporate Risk Management Group met in August to review the Corporate Risk Register, assess emerging risks and opportunities, and ensure consistency in evaluation. The report also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve risk trend analysis and performance data, with alternative solutions being explored to enhance reporting and demonstrate the effectiveness of risk controls. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · The Chair highlighted the inconsistency in the way things were reported in terms of what was a control and what was an action and commented that it was pleasing to hear that it was being looked at as it would assist the Committee to have a greater understanding in terms of how the controls were working. · The Chair highlighted the Business Continuity risk and stated that the controls of the risk mainly involved training. It was queried if that was enough or if the action for that risk needed to be further considered. · Councillor Mike James made reference to the risk in relation to recruitment, retention and loss of key staff and concerns were expressed with the ongoing situation of the Planning department being unbale to recruit a Public Rights of Way Officer. In response, Councillor Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, advised that the issue had arisen due to the long-term sickness absence of the Council’s Rights of Way Officer Legal Officer and difficulties in securing external consultancy support. It was stated that efforts to appoint a suitable consultant were continuing, though regional expertise remained limited. Members were advised that even once support was secured, priority would need to be given to urgent cases, including public inquiries and appeals. · Following clarification sought by Councillor Anji Tinley, regarding the escalation of the ‘Failure to provide statutory services under Mental Health Act 1983’, the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer advised that the matter had been escalated from the Social Services Directorate Risk Register. · The Chair commented that it had been pleasing to see Artificial Intelligence noted as an opportunity but expressed that the Council also needed to consider the threat that it may pose. [Councillor Aled Thomas left the meeting at this juncture.] Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Business Risk Management update and the contents of the Corporate Risk Register be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Compliments, Concerns and Complaints Handling Annual Report be noted, with the Committee expressing satisfaction regarding the Authority’s ability to handle complaints effectively.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to the Compliments, Concerns and Complaints Handling Annual Report. The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer presented the report and outlined the components and undertakings of the Council's complaints team. It was stated that the report outlined the volume, nature, and outcomes of complaints across services during 2024–25, including training improvements, service resilience, and lessons learned. It also included Council complaints completion data and data on complaints referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, of which further detail in relation to the different stages of complaints was provided. Members were advised that there was one discrepancy in the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales letter regarding reported compliance rates, which the Council was actively seeking to clarify, a brief update was given to state that the Ombudsman had recognised that there had been a fault in their compliance reporting and a further update would be shared with Members when possible. Mr John Evans commended Housing and Public Protection for achieving a reduction in complaints over the past year but expressed concern over increases in complaints in relation to Infrastructure and Environmental Services and the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate. Assurance was sought by both the Chair and Mr John Evans that that appropriate action was being taken to address the complaints relating to the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate. In response, the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer stated that some of the complaints, particularly those relating to Planning, which fall within the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate, required detailed investigation which can exceed standard timeframes. It was added that priority was given to accuracy and completeness, and assurance was given that complainants were kept informed if delays occur. Following assurance sought by Councillor Anji Tinley querying how it could be proved that complaints had been dealt with effectively, the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer outlined the complaint investigations process and stated that the complainant’s desired outcome was always sought. It was stated that whilst not all outcomes were within the Council’s control, efforts were made to address concerns fairly with the aim to restore the complainant to the position they would have been in had the issue not occurred. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike Stoddart The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Compliments, Concerns and Complaints Handling Annual Report be noted, with the Committee expressing satisfaction regarding the Authority’s ability to handle complaints effectively.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the draft Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2024–25 be noted, with the positive comments of the Committee being conveyed, prior to its submission for approval by Council.
The Committee considered a report by the Director of Resources in relation to the Draft Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2024-25. On behalf of the Leader, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies outlined the main points of the report ahead of its submission to Cabinet and Council in October, which would include any comments made by the Committee. It was stated that the report, required under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, evaluated the Council’s performance against statutory requirements and outlined actions taken or planned to improve service delivery. Key themes and sub-themes were stated to structure the assessment, which as a whole was felt reflected broadly positive findings despite ongoing financial pressures. The Chair and Mr John Evans both expressed content with the quality of the report and the contribution that it makes to improve and assist in the continuous improvement of the organisation. The Chair commented that she had used it as an example of best practice when speaking with another Authority. The Corporate Policy and Partnerships Manager highlighted the importance of the report being a transparent, reflective and objective assessment and reminded the Committee of the important role in had in that regard. It was stated that comments made by Mr John Evans earlier in the meeting had been noted, and strengthening the link between this report and some of the outcomes would be looked at, albeit with caution not to duplicate other existing processes. In response to a question raised by the Chair, the Corporate Policy and Partnerships Manager stated that actions were progressed and tracked via individual Service Plans that Heads of Service produce each year. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Maureen Bowen The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the draft Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2024–25 be noted, with the positive comments of the Committee being conveyed, prior to its submission for approval by Council.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the County Council Statement of Accounts 2024-25 Progress Report be noted.
The Committee considered a joint report by the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Finance Officers in relation to the County Council Statement of Accounts for 2024-25. The Director of Resources presented the report and outlined the delays which had been due to outstanding asset valuation data and the implementation of IFRS16 (Leases). It was stated that the revised submission date to Audit Wales was now 13 October 2025, with consideration by the Committee and Council scheduled for early 2026. It was noted that lessons learned from this year’s process would inform a new project-led approach for future reporting. Following an update requested by the Chair in relation to any progress made with obtaining Property Service valuations, the Director of Resources stated that the Authority had sought quotations for next year and on analysis it was deemed the current provider was best suited, despite the challenges faced. It was stated that the Council would be seeking a longer term tender next year which would secure future continuity. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the County Council Statement of Accounts 2024-25 Progress Report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That no amendments were required to the Council’s response to Audit Wales regarding the Audit Enquiries to those charged with Governance and Management.
The Committee considered a report by the Director of Resources in relation to audit enquiries to those charged with Governance and Management. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies presented the report and reiterated that Audit Wales sought assurance that consideration and understanding had been given to the governance areas that have an impact on their audit of the Council’s financial statements. The role of the Committee was outlined and attention was drawn to the proposed response appended to the report. There were no questions raised. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Jacob Williams. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That no amendments were required to the Council’s response to Audit Wales regarding the Audit Enquiries to those charged with Governance and Management.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report for Quarter 1 2025-26 be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Deputy Chief Finance Officer (Deputy Section 151 Officer) in relation to the County Council Budget Monitoring Report for Quarter 1 2025-26. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies presented the report and highlighted the projected underspend. Members attention was drawn to the key improvements in relation to Social Care and Housing, particularly regarding residential care for children. It was stated that reductions in capital financing costs and increased investment income also contributed to the positive position. It was, however, expressed that challenges remained in relation to school budget deficits, future pay pressures, and medium-term funding gaps. In response to Mr John Evans highlighting the Council Tax arrears being rag rated as amber, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies reiterated that the matter had been worsened following the decision of the Valuation Office to transfer a number of residents from non-domestic rates to Council Tax, which had contributed greatly as those residents were then faced with backdated bills. Mr John Evans made reference to the efficiency target being slightly behind schedule and sought further information on why the shortfall had occurred and how it would be addressed. In response, the Director of Resources stated that the savings were made through the organisational review and the full-year savings would materialise in 2026–27 due to some staff exits being delayed until late October. It was added that the remainder was covered by a structured budget review and that the Council did expect to meet the £1.4m base budget target by year-end. Following further information sought by the Chair in relation to the shortfall caused by the National Insurance contributions, the Director of Resources stated that the UK Government’s funding to Welsh Government for NI contribution top-ups was less than originally reported and whilst Welsh Government added extra funding before passing it on to Local Authorities, there remained a shortfall of around £1 million compared to expectations. The Chair sought further information in relation to the progress which had been made in reducing costs for temporary accommodation to which the Head of Housing and Public Protection Services stated that homelessness case numbers were declining, but demand for temporary accommodation remained steady. It was noted that costs had been reduced by ending a B&B contract and reclaiming eligible benefits. An update was also provided on the mitigation measures which were being taken to stabilise the situation. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Maureen Bowen The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report for Quarter 1 2025-26 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the final contract costs for Tudor Place and the Old School Lane and the tender process for the Old School Lane be noted. (b) That a request be made for an audit of both schemes to be undertaken.
The Committee considered a report by the Head of Housing and Public Protection in relation to the final contract costs for Tudor Place and Old School Lane, also the tender process for Old School Lane. The Head of Housing and Public Protection presented the report which provided responses to three queries raised at the Committee’s meeting in July regarding two recently completed housing development schemes. It was stated that the queries related to costings for the Tiers Cross and Johnston (Old School Lane) sites and the tender process for Old School Lane. The background information was outlined regarding the construction company, to which the original contracts were awarded, going into administration in July 2021, and subsequent steps reported to the committee on 31 January 2023. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor Mike Stoddart raised concerns and stated that the report was misleading due to it only detailing the figures for when the second contractor was engaged, which was over 60% higher, for each contract, than the original prices agreed, over the period of the contracts. It was stated that the Committee would be required to ascertain why the cost had increased so much, of which a number of suggestions were given. The Chair concurred with the concerns raised. · In response to a number of points raised, the Construction Manager for Housing stated that the report addressed queries from previous discussions regarding payments to contractors after the original contractor went into administration and also clarified that figures related to contracts awarded to final contractors, not total development costs, and previous payments to the original contractor were already disclosed in earlier audit reports, appended. It was stated that differences in costs had been due to tender evaluation, inflation, design standard changes (DQR to WDQR), and third-party requirements. · Councillor Mike Stoddart expressed that it would be of interest to the Committee to ascertain to what extent the cost overrun at Johnson was due to either the work being overvalued and work paid for that hadn't been done or the work that was paid for that had to be redone due to being deficient in standard. The Chair concurred with the concerns expressed by Councillor Stoddart and Moved that the final contract costs for Tudor Place and the Old School Lane and the tender process for the Old School Lane be noted and that a request be made by the Committee for an audit of both schemes to be undertaken (AP); Seconded by Mr John Evans. · Following clarification being sought by the Director of Resources as to the timescale in which the Committee would expect the audit of the schemes to be undertaken, the Committee acknowledged the workload of the Internal Audit team and accepted that conclusion of the audit by the end of the financial year would be acceptable. [Councillor Maureen Bowen left the meeting at this juncture.] The votes, undertaken by way of a roll call, were carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Mike James, Mike Stoddart, Anji Tinley and Jacob Williams; and Dr Norma Barry, Mr John Evans and Mr Chris Halford [7] There were no votes against the motion or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the final contract costs for Tudor Place and the Old School Lane and the tender process for the Old School Lane be noted. (b) That a request be made for an audit of both schemes to be undertaken.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Audit Wales Local Report ‘Pembrokeshire County Council, Arrangements for Commissioning Services’ be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to Audit Wales’s review of Pembrokeshire County Council’s arrangements for commissioning services. Euros Lake from Audit Wales presented the report stating that it had been conducted as part of a sector-wide thematic review and highlighted that it examined the Council’s commissioning arrangements rather than procurement or contract management. The definition of commissioning was outlined and it was highlighted that the review found strengths, such as monitoring arrangements and clear rationales for commissioning, but highlighted gaps in considering alternative options and documenting decisions. Two recommendations were made which were outlined and it was stated that the Council’s management response reflected a clear and considered approach. The Head of Strategic Joint Commissioning advised that in response to the recommendations made, the creation of a small task-and-finish group was proposed to develop a commissioning framework or toolkit which would support consistency across the Council and assist services that commission less frequently. Further information on what the framework would promote was given and it was stated that the assurance had been welcomed that the Authority was commissioning in a strategic way. The Chair requested for the Committee to be kept updated on recommendation progress. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mike James The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Audit Wales Local Report ‘Pembrokeshire County Council, Arrangements for Commissioning Services’ be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Work Programme and Timetable be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to the Audit Wales Work Programme and Timetable. The Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer presented the report and welcomed any questions. There were no questions raised. Moved by Mr John Evans; Seconded by Councillor Jacob Williams The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Work Programme and Timetable 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.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.