The Carmarthenshire County Council meeting on Wednesday, 09 October 2024, saw councillors debate and pass motions concerning the reduction of services at Prince Phillip Hospital and the urgent need for increased local government funding. The council also received and approved annual reports from its Standards Committee and Governance & Audit Committee, and reviewed its Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for 2023-2024.

Objection to Minor Injuries Unit Service Reduction

Councillors unanimously supported a motion objecting to the Hywel Dda University Health Board's decision to reduce the operating hours of the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli. The motion, proposed by Councillors Alex Evans and Louvain Roberts, highlighted that the unit would be cut from a 24/7 service to operating only between 8 am and 8 pm for six months from November 1st. Concerns were raised that this reduction, following the loss of the hospital's A&E service, would negatively impact urgent care provision for residents, forcing them to travel to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. The council called on Hywel Dda University Health Board to explore all options to restore the 24/7 service and urged the Welsh Government and the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to intervene if necessary. The motion was referred to the Cabinet for further action.

Call for Sustainable Local Government Funding

A motion urging the Chancellor of the Exchequer to place local council funding on a firm foundation was also supported and referred to the Cabinet. Proposed by Councillors Alun Lenny and Denise Owen, the motion congratulated Rachel Reeves MP on her appointment as Chancellor and expressed empathy for the challenging role, noting that local councils have borne a disproportionate share of spending cuts. The motion stated that Carmarthenshire County Council is £120m worse off, in real terms, than we were a decade ago due to chronic government under-funding. It warned that many councils are on the brink of financial disaster, with essential services and jobs at risk. The motion urged the Chancellor to use funds available from the Bank of England's quantitative tightening programme to provide urgent extra revenue funding for social care, children's services, schools, and highways. It also called for inflationary pressures and centrally set pay settlements to be fully funded by central government.

Annual Reports Received and Approved

The Council received and approved the annual reports from both the Standards Committee and the Governance & Audit Committee for the 2023/24 period.

The Standards Committee Annual Report 2023/2024, presented by Mrs Daphne Evans, Vice Chair of the Standards Committee, detailed the committee's activities, including referrals from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, applications for dispensation, and code of conduct training. It also assessed the compliance of group leaders with their duties to promote high standards of conduct. The report concluded that generally, councillors across the county exhibited good compliance with the Code of Conduct, and complaint levels remained low.

The Governance & Audit Committee Annual Report 2023/24, presented by Mr David MacGregor, Chair of the committee, provided assurance on the committee's work in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective governance. Mr MacGregor highlighted the committee's role in providing independent scrutiny of the authority's financial and non-financial performance, its exposure to risk, and its oversight of the financial reporting process. He acknowledged the current budget challenges facing the council and emphasised the committee's ongoing commitment to working with officers, auditors, and councillors.

Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report

The Council considered and adopted the Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for 2023-2024. This report, which followed a recommendation from the Cabinet, detailed the council's treasury management activities during the financial year, including investments, borrowing, and adherence to prudential indicators. The report confirmed that the council's investments generated an average rate of 4.76%, and borrowing was managed within set limits.

Questions from Members

Councillor Deryk Cundy questioned Councillor Glynog Davies, Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, regarding the allocation of £4.25 million in ring-fenced capital funding for projects supporting children with high dependency needs at Heol Goffa. Councillor Davies stated that an independent expert was reviewing ALN (Additional Learning Needs) provision in the Llanelli area, including costed options for a new school, and that no definitive plans would be made until this report was received. He also clarified that the term High Dependency Needs Children is not used by the Education Department, which provides a range of services for all learners with ALN.

Councillor Martyn Palfreman's question to Councillor Edward Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, was withdrawn due to Councillor Thomas's absence.

Committee Membership Changes

Several changes to committee memberships were approved:

• Councillor Dai Nicholas was nominated by the Independent Group to fill a vacant seat on the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee.
• Councillor Emlyn Schiavone was nominated by the Plaid Cymru Group to replace Councillor Carys Jones on the Education, Young People and Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee.
• Councillor Denise Owen was nominated by the Plaid Cymru Group to replace Councillor Carys Jones on the Planning Committee.
• Councillor Steve Williams was nominated by the Independent Unaffiliated Members to replace Councillor Sean Rees on the Education, Young People and Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee.
• Councillor Philip Warlow was nominated by the Labour Group to replace Councillor Peter Cooper on the Dyfed Pension Fund Committee.

Election of Committee Chairs

Councillor E. Schiavone was elected Chair of the Education, Young People and Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee. Councillor M. Charles was appointed Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee.