Guto Bebb MP has been provided with a copy of a Conwy Borough Council staff bulletin – dated September 2013 in which the Chief Education Officer of Conwy Council writes:
“All this coincides with my planned personal career path to retire at the end of the academic year during which I reach my 60th year – namely summer 2014. I have shared this intention with the Chief Executive and Cabinet Portfolio Member. We have agreed that this will provide the Council with an opportunity to consider various options for the future delivery of Education Services”
Guto said – “This bulletin written by the Chief Education Officer to his colleagues is absolutely crystal clear and unambiguous. There is nothing that requires any further clarification. The Chief Education Officer clearly tells Conwy Borough Council staff that he is retiring and that the Chief Executive has been informed of this. I am appalled that Councillors and the public have been misled in this matter and allowed a contrived redundancy payment of £40,000 to be paid out of scarce Council funds. I shall be sharing this further evidence with the Wales Audit Office who I have asked to investigate this situation in detail".
Guto further added, “Again, I would like to reiterate that this matter is not about any individual. My concern is that council tax payers’ money has been used to make an entirely unnecessary and inappropriate redundancy payment. I wonder whether the Senior Officers shared this bulletin with their lawyers when seeking last minute legal justification for their decision?”