Changes to Governance Arrangements for Blaenau Gwent Companies Ratified by Councillors

CHANGES to the way Blaenau Gwent keep an eye on companies and organisations it has a stake in, have been ratified by councillors.
At a full Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, October 24 councillors were presented with a report following an “assurance review” into the governance arrangements it has with other companies.
The review follows a damning report by Audit Wales in January 2022 which highlighted “deficiencies” in the governance and oversight arrangement of the council’s arm’s length company, Silent Valley Waste Services.
The assurance review which had been agreed and signed off by by Audit Wales, looked at the relationship Blaenau Gwent council has with the Aneurin Leisure Trust, Education Achievement Service, Gwent Archives and Gwent Crematorium.
Council leader, Labour’s Cllr Steve Thomas took councillors through the report including the new arrangements that had been recommended that councillors approve on Gwent Archives and Gwent Crematorium.
There were no recommendations made around the relationship Blaenau Gwent has with the Aneurin Leisure Trust or Education Achievement Service.
Last week the proposal had been looked at by both the council’s Governance and Audit committee and a special meeting of the Partnerships scrutiny committee, which is chaired by the deputy Independent group leader, Cllr Wayne Hodgins.
At that meeting Cllr Hodgins had asked for the all the relevant documents for Gwent Archives and the Gwent Crematorium from their inception to be presented to the committee.
Cllr Hodgins also asked for details of which councillors represent Blaenau Gwent at joint committee meetings.
Cllr Wayne Hodgins said: “I’m really pleased this has come through as it shows we don’t shy away from our responsibilities.
“We’ve looked back and saw shortcomings and intend to deal with these things.
“I have requested that information comes through from these two companies that we are partners in, to see what our financial standings and involvements are.”
“It is a good report and I’d like to see this as the basis for governance arrangement for any other companies we get involved in with our commercial activity.”
Cllr Thomas said that this whole process has been undertaken to ensure that there is no repeat of the issues found at Silent Valley.
Cllr Thomas said: “None of us could see what was going on and I welcome the fact that these are coming to your (Cllr Hodgins’) scrutiny committee.
“That’s a strength for us – it’s not just about us having that assurance in terms of what’s going on in them – but it’s looking for opportunities what we can develop for the future as well.”
Councillors unanimously agreed the report.
Gwent Archives and Gwent Crematorium were both established as a Joint Committee on a regional footprint across Gwent and are funded by the five local authorities.
The lead authority for the archives is Torfaen Council although is actually based in Ebbw Vale at the ground floor of the General Office – which has become then headquarters of Blaenau Gwent council.
The crematorium is run Newport Council even through it based at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran in Torfaen.
The recommendations were:
That a “link officer” is identified and tasked with holding regular liaison meetings with Gwent Archives and Gwent Crematorium.
A briefing for councillors on the operations and services provided
by the archives and crematorium is organised.
A term of reference ‘governance toolkit’ for use by officers across the council for the companies is developed.
All relevant documents and accounts for Gwent Archives and Gwent Crematoria are seen twice a year by Blaenau Gwent’s Partnerships Scrutiny Committee and full council where relevant from 2024/2025 onwards. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​