Scrutiny Inquiry Panel - Grants

Councillors on the Scrutiny Inquiry Panel for Grants (a scrutiny panel, meaning a group of councillors who check the council's work) met on 23 September 2025 as part of their inquiry into council grants. They heard from grant providers, the bodies that fund grants: Public Health Wales and the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office. They also heard from Swansea Council for Voluntary Service. The minutes record that the Panel asked questions, and that the detail will go into an evidence pack published at the end of the inquiry. The Panel also noted progress on its project plan. No conclusions were reached at this meeting.

1. Grant providers: Public Health Wales and Police and Crime Commissioner's Office

   Decided

   The minute records no decision. The Panel thanked the representatives for attending, and said it asked questions, which were addressed.

   Why

   The inquiry is looking at how grants are given and managed. The report says the questions sent in advance covered how grants are allocated and designed, how transparency and oversight work, how lessons are learned, and how councils are supported. According to the report, the attendees were Rhian Pearce, National Co-ordinator for NERS (a Public Health Wales exercise referral scheme), and Joanna Markham, Grants and Funding Officer for the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office. The minute says the detail of the discussion will form part of the evidence pack.

   Based on the minutes, Cover report 23 Sep 25

2. Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS) evidence

   Decided

   The minute records no decision. The Panel thanked the Director of SCVS for attending and said it asked further questions, which were addressed.

   Why

   SCVS is a body that supports voluntary groups in Swansea. The report says its Director, Amanda Carr, agreed to attend and was sent questions in advance. These covered SCVS's role in supporting the council's grant work, how well the council works with voluntary organisations, any barriers the council faces, the impact of council-managed grants on communities, and how the council plans for sustainability when grants end. The minute says the detail of the discussion will form part of the evidence pack.

   Based on the minutes, Cover report SCVS23 Sep 25

3. Inquiry project plan: progress noted

   Decided

   The Panel noted progress with the project plan.

   Why

   The project plan sets out the inquiry's timetable of evidence sessions. The plan lists this meeting (23 September 2025) as the fifth evidence session, and the concluding meeting, where findings and recommendations will be discussed, for 23 October 2025.

   Based on the minutes, PROJECT PLAN as at 24 June 25

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 2

   Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests

   Minute

   None

2. 3

   Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips

   Minute

   None

3. 4

   Minutes

   Minute

   The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

   Papers: Minutes Grants SIP 19 Aug 25
4. 5

   Public Questions

   Minute

   No public questions were received.

5. 6

   Grant Providers

   Minute

   The Panel thanked representatives from Public Health Wales and the Police and Crime Commissioners Office for attending to respond to and discuss the questions sent to them in advance of the meeting. The Panel asked a number of questions, which were addressed. The detail of these discussions will form part of the evidence pack that the Panel will use to discuss its conclusions at the end of the inquiry. This pack will also be published online at that time.

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Cover report 23 Sep 25
6. 7

   Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS)

   Minute

   The Panel thanked the Director of Swansea Council for Voluntary Service for attending to discuss a set of questions sent to her in advance of the meeting. The Panel asked a number of further questions, which were addressed. The detail of these discussions will form part of the evidence pack that the Panel will use to discuss its conclusions at the end of the inquiry. This pack will also be published online at that time.

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Cover report SCVS23 Sep 25
7. 8

   Inquiry Project Plan

   Minute

   Progress with the Project Plan was noted.

   Part of an issue followed across 10 meetings

   Papers: PROJECT PLAN as at 24 June 25

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.

• Joe Hale, ChairIndependentPresent
• Allan Jeffery, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Dai Jenkins, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Kevin Griffiths, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Lynda James, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Mark Tribe, Committee MemberConservativePresent
• Mike White, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Peter Black CBE, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratSent apologies

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