Loading
The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Annual Return for year ended 2024/25 be approved.
RESOLVED That the Audit Letter be noted
RESOLVED That the Swansea Bay City Deal Programme/Portfolio Management Office review update be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the Audit Wales recommendations updates be noted. (b) That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Business Risk Management Update be noted.
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, and associated updates, be noted.
The Chair sought nominations for the election of Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year. Councillor James Henton nominated Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Dai Thomas. The vote was taken by way of a show of hands and carried. RESOLVED That Councillor Steve Alderman be duly elected as Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
Apologies for absence were received from Paula O’Connor (Swansea).
There were no declarations of interest received.
Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Mike Harvey The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the English and Welsh Minutes of the meeting held on 31 July 2025 be approved as correct records.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Annual Return for year ended 2024/25 be approved.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Annual Return for 2024-25. The Chief Finance Officer introduced the report highlighting that due to the Corporate Joint Committee turnover being below £2.5 million, a full statement of accounts was not required; instead, an audited annual return was submitted. It was stated that the report showed a significant underspend which had been expected and had been largely due to slower than anticipated progress across workstreams, with the exception of the Transport Regional Plan which received £100,000 in Welsh Government funding. It was noted that total reserves had increased which had resulted in a year-end balance of £1.1 million. Members were informed that the Corporate Joint Committee had agreed to use part of the reserves over the next three years to help stabilise the levy. It was highlighted that the annual return confirmed compliance with financial regulations and would be signed by the Sub-Committee Chair, following Committee approval, after which it would be submitted to the Auditor General. It was noted that the Pembrokeshire Internal Audit team had reviewed and signed off the return, and the external audit opinion would be presented under the next agenda item. Joanna Jenkins raised an observation that the format of both appendices were poor, resulting in it being difficult to view and consider the documents clearly. The feedback was taken on board by the Chief Finance Officer who agreed that formatting improvements would be made for future documents. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor James Henton The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Deryk Cundy, Mike Harvey, James Henton, Jeff Jones and Dai Thomas; and Dr Norma Barry, Joanna Jenkins and Malcolm MacDonald [9] There were no votes against the motion or abstentions. RESOLVED That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Annual Return for year ended 2024/25 be approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Audit Letter be noted
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the Audit Wales Audit Letter. The Chair welcomed Jason Blewitt from Audit Wales to the meeting to present this item of business. Mr Blewitt introduced the item confirming that the audit work on the Corporate Joint Committee’s annual return had been completed. It was highlighted that as the Corporate Joint Committee was not required to produce a full set of accounts, the audit had focused on providing assurance that the return was prepared on a reasonable basis, with figures agreeing to underlying records and being correctly presented. It was reiterated that following the Committee’s approval of the return, it would be submitted to the Auditor General for formal sign-off. There were no questions raised. Moved by Joanna Jenkins; Seconded by Malcolm MacDonald The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Audit Letter be noted
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Swansea Bay City Deal Programme/Portfolio Management Office review update be noted.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Monitoring Officer regarding the Swansea Bay City Deal and the future of the Programme/Portfolio Management Office (POMO). The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and provided an update on the ongoing review of the Swansea Bay City Deal and its relationship with the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC). It was stated that work was underway to explore merging certain City Deal functions into the CJC structure to improve sustainability, capacity, and resilience across the Region. Members were advised that proposals included potentially disbanding the City Deal Joint Committee and Joint Scrutiny Committee, with those functions moving under the CJC’s governance arrangements. It was stated that in doing so this would also involve aligning staffing resources and updating constitutional documents as needed. The process was noted to be at an early stage, and further reports would be brought to the Committee as proposals developed. The importance of keeping Members informed about such changes was acknowledged. Following the Monitoring Officer’s update, the Chair queried whether a final decision regarding the proposed integration of City Deal functions into the CJC structure would be made by the end of the year. In response, the Monitoring Officer clarified that whilst a final decision may not be reached within that timeframe, steps were being taken to progress the matter as soon as possible. It was highlighted that several factors must be considered, including engagement with Welsh and UK Governments and the need for corresponding reports to be presented to individual Authorities. The Chair further highlighted the absence of timelines within the report and asked whether these would be included. In response, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that work was underway to establish a timetable, with discussions scheduled with Carmarthenshire County Council Officers to map out options. Assurance was provided that an agreed timeline would be shared in due course. In summing up, the Chair emphasised the importance of recognising the Governance and Audit Sub-Committee as a key stakeholder in the process. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Dai Thomas The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Swansea Bay City Deal Programme/Portfolio Management Office review update be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Audit Wales recommendations updates be noted. (b) That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Business Risk Management Update be noted.
The Sub-Committee considered two reports by the Head of Policy and Business Administration regarding the progress in relation to the Audit Wales recommendations and an update in relation to the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Business Risk Management. The Head of Policy and Business Administration introduced the reports and provided an update on the progress made following the recommendations received from Audit Wales. It was stated that monthly meetings were now held with other Corporate Joint Committees (CJC’s) to share good practice, and it was noted that progress had been made in strengthening governance and engagement with Welsh Government, the Human Rights and Equalities Commissioner, and the Welsh Language Commissioner. Members were advised that work was also underway on a Regional Engagement Strategy and a Child Poverty Action Plan. It was confirmed that the CJC remained within the expected implementation period and the development of a Regional Risk Management Strategy, Child Poverty Strategy, and Participation and Engagement Plans, all targeted for completion by mid-autumn were outlined. The Chair then welcomed questions from Members and the following key points were noted: Following clarification of timescales being sought by Joanna Jenkins regarding the development of the strategies, the Head of Policy and Business Administration stated that they were underway and were at the point of requiring engagement with partners with the hope that final drafts would be ready by December 2025. A suggestion was made by Joanna Jenkins that it may be beneficial to schedule a Sub-Committee meeting for November or December 2025, rather than waiting until February 2026 to consider the draft strategies. The Chair supported the suggestion of an earlier meeting, if required, and the Head of Policy and Business Administration agreed to consult with colleagues and develop a timeline, confirming that the scheduling of the next meeting would be prioritised. The Chair sought clarification on whether all three strategies would be presented to the Sub-Committee. In response, the Monitoring Officer advised that of the three documents, the Risk Management Policy was of particular relevance to the Governance and Audit Sub-Committee, with the Child Poverty and Participation Strategies likely being considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the main CJC. Assurance was given, however, that the Sub-Committee would be consulted on the Risk Management Policy before it is submitted to the main CJC. The Chair expressed confusion regarding the clarity and currency of the report and background papers, noting that some documents referenced future arrangements despite the CJC already being established. The importance of ensuring that reports accurately reflected the current position and clearly set out the recommendations and actions being taken in response to Audit Wales was emphasised. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Mike Harvey The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED (a) That the Audit Wales recommendations updates be noted. (b) That the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee Business Risk Management Update be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, and associated updates, be noted.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Head of Internal Audit regarding the Governance and Audit Sub-Committee’s Forward Work Programme. The Head of Internal Audit introduced the report highlighting that the work programmed extended to July 2026. It was stated that following recent constitutional changes, the Sub-Committee was now required to meet at least twice per year, with those meetings scheduled for February and July 2026. The potential need for additional meetings was acknowledged, as raised earlier in the meeting, and would be arranged if required. Moved by Councillor Mike Harvey; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme, and associated updates, 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.