Speech on leak inquiry

By -

Speech to the National Assembly on 28th February 2018


I never wanted to have a role in this story. Carl Sargeant was a valued colleague of
mine and I remain deeply upset about his death.

But as my name has been mentioned I believe I should give my own account.

I am certain in my own mind that the text I received was gossip on the day of a reshuffle. As Andrew RT Davies acknowledged in his speech, there is often chatter around a reshuffle - that’s how I treated the text.

It was not from any official source and, in fact, I didn’t treat it seriously until I saw the statement Carl himself issued later that day.

I didn't pass on what I’d heard to any journalist, but told my colleagues at the first
opportunity of the text message I had received. And I gave evidence to the Leak
enquiry as requested. As I said I never wanted to have a role in any of this and I believe I acted properly.

There have been calls for me to say who sent me the text message. And I have not done, and will not do so, because I don't wish to contribute to a trail of breadcrumbs which can lead to the identification of any of the people who came forward.

I understand the frustration that more information from the report has not been published.

But I think it is right that the full leak inquiry report will be considered by the independent inquiry.

It will be for Paul Bowen QC to weigh the significance of this all, and judge whether the way this information was handled is relevant to the events that followed.

The Conservatives are pushing for a redacted version of the report to be published. But even a redacted version poses a risk that the anonymity of the complainants will be jeopardised.

And Llywydd, the women have been forgotten in all this.

We will never be able to fairly test their allegations. That is neither fair on them, nor on Carl.

But at the very least let's not make the situation worse by directly, or indirectly, threatening their right to anonymity.

This whole tragedy has become the subject of political game-playing. And I want no part in it.

There are two more inquiries, and an inquest, yet to report. These processes need to be allowed to complete.









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2023 - 5 big changes in transport in Wales

By -
Image
Changing direction takes you to a different destination... We ask our transport system to do a lot of things, but we’ve not asked it to make its contribution to our shared challenge of reducing carbon emissions. Indeed, transport is the sector that has contributed the least to the legal duty to cut emissions. Unless that changes we will not meet our overall NetZero imperative . It is difficult for any incoming Transport Minister to change much in the short-term - road and rail projects take upwards of seven years to implement, and the ongoing pipeline of schemes means that significant spending has already been committed and political expectations raised by the time a new Minister takes office. Though the political spotlight is inevitably on short-term problems, significant change is a longer term project. Over and above the day-to-day activity of keeping a transport system on track I have tried to focus on how to ‘change the wiring’ to secure medium to long-term change. For all its ch
Read more

Transport for Wales 2.0

By -
Image
Speech to Transport for Wales senior management at Llys Cadwyn, TfW HQ, in Pontypridd on 6th February 2024 Diolch am y croeso a y cyfle. James Price and I meet regularly, and sometimes it feels like we’re in charge. But it really is a privilege to be in the same room as the people who actually do run transport in Wales. And it’s so nice to see people together. I’m still adjusting to meeting people in the flesh who I’m used to seeing online; I still can’t believe how short everyone is when I meet them! Apart from the ones I already knew were short, obviously (you know who you are). The worst thing about those mass Teams calls is that I can’t see people’s reactions to what I’m saying – to confirm that they are drifting off.  So at least I’ll know for sure today that I am boring you – the people in the room at least. It won’t stop me, but it gets rid of the uncertainty. I know we’ve priced-in that politicians' speeches will be insincere, but I really do mean what I say. And I
Read more

How much is a life worth?

By -
Image
  So what will the cost to the economy be of a safer speed limit in residential areas?   The headline figure that has been estimated is 4.5 Billion.  It is an arresting figure, but it isn’t really what it seems.  As part of the  Explanatory Memorandum  we have to publish we have to produce an estimate of costs and benefits. And we have to use the approach set out in the  UK Treasury’s Green Book  for evaluating schemes.   And we have to try and put a financial value to this, but of course there are some things you cannot measure: the grief to a family of a child killed on their street; the social value of meeting neighbors in the street and chatting, the absence of stress from engine noise that is louder in a street with a 30mph limit.  Those things and more aren’t captured by the Treasury Green Book.  It measures what it can, and it tries to put a monetary value next to it. And as the Explanatory Memorandum makes clear there is a lot of uncertainty about these figures. 
Read more