ON WEDNESDAY (Apr 6) at a Llanelli Town Council meeting questions were raised over the activity of the Twinning Committee by Plaid Cymru town Councillors.
Elli Ward councillor Ruth Price asked: “I wondered whether there were grant guidelines for giving money for schools and whether the schools were aware of opportunities to go to Agen other than Bryngwyn? I was wondering if there were any grant guidelines available to see?”
Mel Edwards the Town Clerk replied: “As far as other schools being aware, when we were preparing for the twinning covenant in 2014 we had a number of meetings with schools here. I think all schools were represented. They are aware. There have been different approaches towards these trips from different schools.
“As the letter from the head of Bryngwyn explained that was presented to the twinning committee, Bryngwyn is the lead school for languages in Llanelli. The purpose of this visit was to try and extend the exchanges so that other schools here could link up with other schools in Agen. That was the purpose of the visit to explore the possibilities of doing that.”
Mr Edwards continued: “Other schools are aware that they can, with assistance of the Town Council, make those necessary connections to have the link. The guidelines are based on the number of people travelling. There is banding from one to four people travelling. Up to ten people travelling and then over 25 people. I can certainly circulate the guidelines.”
Councillor Price turned her attention to a letter sent to the Town Council by the New Dock Stars RFC.
She said: “Regarding the Town Twinning committee, in relation to the rugby exchange, I haven’t got sight of the letter from New Dock Stars committee. I was wondering who the letter came from and who is the Chair of the New Dock Stars’ committee?”
The clerk told her: “It is a matter of public record. The leader of the council has declared an interest as secretary of New Dock Stars previously. He wasn’t at the meeting. The letter was circulated with the agenda and it is a public document. Since then we have had a letter from the chair again thanking us.”
Councillor Price persisted with her line of questioning and said: “If nothing has been put in from Councillor Lucas it would be nice to see the declaration of interest in relation to this, in case there is a conflict of interest there.” The Clerk pointed out to Councillor Price that as Councillor Lucas was not at the meeting he was not required to declare an interest.
Plaid’s Tyisha Ward councillor, Roger Price said: “I can’t help but notice when there are these trips to Agen that other parties apart from Labour group appear to be conspicuously absent. As a mayor myself, I didn’t have a look in.
“They are going quite regularly now and I am wondering whether there is a need and whether it should be one party all the time. It seems to be totally biased like so much in this council. It is run more like a Labour club than a town council.”
The clerk said that he could not comment on any political issue: “It is my job to ensure any expenditure incurred is authorised properly, which it has been. When there was a larger delegation in August the invitation to fill spaces available was on seniority to the people on the town twinning committee. Some people couldn’t go but actually more than one party was represented on that visit.”
Councillor Jan Williams said that she could sympathise with Cllr Roger Price: “It is the luck of the draw. These things happen. What I would say is that everything is done above board and by the book. We go not by the person but by the position. The position is usually the mayor, the leader, the clerk obviously, because somebody like the clerk and the leader have a position which lasts from year to year and they can establish a good rapport which is very important, with Agen. “There is nothing political about it.” Cllr Williams continued without irony to observe: “It would be a pity to bring this down to small town politics.”
He remarked: “We have been linked with Agen for many years. They are random visits. If they think the twinning committees can benefit from it they ask us and we attend. It is done purely according to seniority.
“Personally I take exception to the inference that Councillor Lucas, in particular, is anything other than scrupulously fair about this matter.”
It was not clear why Cllr Williams felt moved to defend Cllr Lucas in relation to visiting Agen for the Festival of Prunes, as the point raised by Cllr Roger Price did not mention him at all.
Councillor Bill Thomas added his voice to the discussion saying that he had been invited twice but had not gone. Cllr Thomas said: “There are unscrupulous people who said I was snubbing it by not going. I think this needs to be brought to a head. I think this is a bit petty.”
Councillor Winston Lemon observed that the invitation to the Agen Prune Festival was an annual event and that he had not been invited when he was mayor: “In times of austerity there is quite a big delegation going on ‘this prune jolly’.”
He asked if the council were paying the full cost for representatives of Coleg Sir Gar and if he could have the full costs of the visit so that the people of Llanelli knew where the Town Council were spending their money in a time of austerity.
The clerk pointed out that any expenditure was a matter of public record.
Councillor Jeff Edmunds then asked for clarification as to whether the council had been asked to the festival every year. The clerk pointed out that it was an annual event but they had not been invited every year.
The Mayor, Cllr Shahana Najmi pointed out that the festival had been running every year but that the council had only been invited since last year (2015).
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