Siân Gwenllian MS, Cabinet Minister for Housing, Local Government
and Planning: In January 2024, Fenella Morris KC published a
highly critical report of her year-long inquiry into the culture
and management of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS). It
exposed widespread bullying, harassment and discrimination,
favouritism in promotion arrangements, and management which was
unable or unwilling to confront these problems.
The following month, the Welsh Government intervened. Having
received inadequate assurances from SWFRS that it could and would
address these problems itself, the then Deputy Minister for
Social Partnership appointed four Commissioners to assume full
oversight of the Service by taking over all of the functions of
South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority (SWFRA).
The Commissioners have made some good progress since then. The
senior management team has been completely refreshed, and those
who oversaw the original failings have been replaced. Internal
policies and procedures are being overhauled and made fairer and
more robust. And staff survey results show that workplace culture
is improving, albeit from a very low base.
The aim of intervention is to ensure that not only are actions
taken to address the identified issues it is vital that these
changes are sustained. This is on the basis that all such actions
are measures of last resort: central government should only
suspend local control of local services where absolutely
necessary, and only for as long as necessary. It is therefore
important that we consider when to end an intervention carefully
on the basis of evidence and the views of those involved.
Whilst there has been significant progress, the Commissioners do
not believe that their task is finished. In particular,
they have concluded that change is not sufficiently embedded to
survive a return to local control. They are fortified in that
view by a report from leading academics in the field which has
cast material doubt about the sustainability of recovery if the
Commissioners were to leave in the near future.
Having carefully considered this position, I agree with the need
to maintain the intervention. Bringing our intervention to
an end now risks the change not being sustained and it is vital
for those who were impacted by the previous issues that these are
not allowed to return. It would also jeopardise the quality of
services on which the people of South Wales rely to keep them
safe. Those are risks I am not prepared to take.
I have therefore decided that the Commissioners will remain in
place until after next year's local elections. During that time,
I expect them to complete their original remit and to take steps
to secure an orderly and sustainable transition back to local
control. I have also engaged with the WLGA on the pathway to
transition. To assist the Commissioners in ensuring a smooth
transition back to local control, they and we will work closely
with the WLGA, the ten local authorities in South Wales and the
Cabinet members those authorities have appointed to membership of
SWFRA.
Finally, one of our Commissioners, Carl Foulkes, will shortly
leave that post for personal reasons. Carl has brought great
insight and leadership to the role, drawing on his experience as
Chief Constable of North Wales Police. I would like to thank him
for his service and wish him well for the future. I will appoint
a replacement Commissioner in due course.
