Simon Thomas AM
The Party of Wales will today mount pressure on the First Minister to appoint an independent adjudicator to police the Ministerial Code.
The Party of Wales AM Simon Thomas, who sits on the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, will say that a situation where the First Minister is wholly responsible for ensuring that the Code is implemented properly, but is not legally required to produce any report or evidence, is no longer tolerable.
Speaking before the Assembly debate, the Party of Wales AM Simon Thomas, who sits on the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, said:
“Last week, the public learned that a Minister had broken the Ministerial Code on more than one occasion, but had been allowed to remain in the post by the First Minister. This is sure to undermine trust in the system. That’s why we need to restore faith in our democracy by establishing an independent adjudicator to police the Ministerial Code.
“Currently, the First Minister is wholly responsible for the Code and does not even have to produce any report or evidence on an alleged breach.
“The Ministerial Code is the rulebook that ensures that the people we entrust with government offices behave properly. It is right that when Ministers are suspected of breaking this Code, that this is investigated properly and independently, so that the First Minister can be held to account when he takes his decision.
“This goes to the heart of good governance in Wales and the trust of our citizens that Ministers are acting in the interests of everyone, and not their own party or personal interests.”
